Cody Johnson will headline the main CMA Fest show at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on Friday night.
It's a coveted, big-time gig at any point in an artist's career, but for Cody, it's his first time meeting the CMA crowd with an entertainer of the year trophy under his belt.
It's something "The Fall" hitmaker's been trying to absorb ever since he picked up the ACM honor May 17.
"I remember playing those gigs for very, very little money and knowing ... it's not gonna pay my house off," he said, looking back on his beginnings. "But ultimately, people got to hear my music. And then that shaped why I wrote certain songs, why I chose certain songs from certain songwriters to send that message."
"If I have a platform that's gonna reach this many people," he explained, "I can send this message or this message. And I chose those songs that sent a brighter message to the world."
"And looking back, it's kinda surreal," Cody continued. "I haven't really let it soak in yet. For a cowboy, this is that gold buckle I've been chasing my whole life."
Jo Dee Messina, Blake Shelton, Shaboozey, The Red Clay Strays, The Band Perry and Keith Urban are all set to play before Cody goes on at 11:30 p.m. CT.
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