Zach Top wins first-ever CMA award, takes home new artist of the year, here’s everything to know about the rising country star

Country singer Zach Top celebrated a career milestone on Wednesday night(November 19), winning New Artist of the Year at the 59th Annual CMA Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The 28-year-old beat out fellow nominees Ella Langley, Shaboozey, Tucker Wetmore, and Stephen Wilson Jr. for his first-ever CMA win.

"Thank you very, very much. I can't remember if I was supposed to put my beer down first or not, but here it is now," he told the crowd while accepting his win. "I'm so thankful to be included in a category with a bunch of other great artists that have had phenomenal years. I'm thankful to be here."

All about Zach Top

Zach Top, the CMA New Artist of the Year, hails from Sunnyside, Washington, where he grew up on his family’s farm surrounded by country music and formed a band with his siblings at just 7 years old. Offstage, he is dating model Amelia Taylor; the couple appeared together on the CMA red carpet and frequently share glimpses of their relationship on social media, including birthday celebrations at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre and heartfelt tributes highlighting Top’s supportive and loving nature.

Top, who performed his hit song “Guitar” earlier in the evening, also expressed gratitude to his siblings, friends, and colleagues. “It’s been a hell of a last couple of years,” he said. “So, so thankful and ready to celebrate all night.”

Top also took a heartfelt moment to thank God for “giving me the gift to be able to sing and play,” and expressed gratitude to his parents for “realizing that I was never gonna be a professional cowboy or a baseball player, so maybe the closest I could get was to sing about cowboys.”

The country singer has previously been nominated for New Artist of the Year in 2024 and is also up for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year in 2025. His second album, Ain’t in it for My Health, was released in August and features singles including “Good Times & Tan Lines.”

Zach Top is gearing up for the European leg of his 2026 tour, kicking off in Zurich on February 21 and making stops in Copenhagen, London, and other cities, before wrapping up in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 15.