Justin Moore Named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2009

2009 will definitely be a year for Justin Moore to remember. His song 'Small Town U.S.A.' scored the newcomer his first No. 1 single, his album debuted in the Top 5 on the country albums chart and his latest single, 'Backwoods,' is flying up the charts. To add to all of that, Billboard has just named Justin its Top New Country Artist of 2009.

"It sticks the cherry on top," Justin tells The Boot. "We don't get into this business -- or I didn't, anyway -- to win awards and that kind of stuff, but it's cool. It's pretty humbling to know that everybody in this industry from country radio to you guys have embraced me as early on in my career as they have. It's very, very exciting. We've had a huge year with 'Small Town U.S.A.' doing so well for us and our record coming out and debuting as high as it did, and we've been selling a lot more. That's not something I got into it for, but it makes me feel really good that everybody voted on me for that."

2010 is sure to be just as great for Justin, if not better. He's set to kick off the last leg of Brad Paisley's American Saturday Night tour, along with Miranda Lambert, on Jan. 7 in San Antonio, Texas. And just a few weeks after that, the Arkansas native and his lovely wife will welcome the birth of their first child -- daughter Ella Cole.