Cody Johnson is taking home the ACM Award for Song of the Year for “Dirt Cheap,” and so is the man who wrote the song, Josh Phillips.
“I started as a songwriter in Texas,” Johnson said, holding his trophy at the podium.
“I came to Nashville and got a publishing deal because what I wanted be was a songwriter and I didn’t know that it was gonna be a career where I get to record the greatest songs in country music written by some of the best songwriters in the world.”
He then pointed out that Phillips wrote the entire song by himself, which is rare these days. This award is handed out to the songwriter or songwriters, as well as the artist and publishing company behind the winning song.
Johnson stepped aside to let the songwriter speak. “Thank you to my beautiful wife, Jordan,” Phillips said after thanking the Lord. “Thank you for telling me to send this song to Cody Johnson.”
Also nominated in the category were Lainey Wilson‘s “4X4XU,” Kacey Musgraves‘ “The Architect,” Post Malone and Morgan Wallen‘s “I Had Some Help” and Ella Langley (feat. Riley Green)’s “You Look Like You Love Me.”
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This song was the only nominee in this category where the artist wasn’t one of the writers. Phillips originally intended “Dirt Cheap” for Luke Combs before it wound up in Johnson’s inbox.
The song was a No. 1 at country radio, but its impact in 2024 was about more than just hit status. “Dirt Cheap” tells a powerful story about the memories tied to home, and many country fans can relate to the emotion in the lyrics. “Dirt Cheap” was released as a single in March 2024, and is included on Johnson’s 2023 Leather album.
The 2025 ACM Awards are streaming live from Frisco, Texas’ Ford Center on Amazon Prime Video. Reba McEntire is hosting the show this year.
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