Jimmie Allen Tried to Call His Dad After 2021 ACM Awards Win

After Jimmie Allen learned he’d won ACM New Male Artist of the Year, there were so many people he wanted to tell. But the number he dialed was his late father’s old number.

“My dumb self picked up the phone to call my dad,” a gregarious Allen reveals to Taste of Country Nights with a slight chuckle. Growing serious, he continues, “And then I realized, he’s dead. And that threw me in a little thing for a while.”

Allen’s father, “Big Jim,” died in 2019. Someone else has his number now, but Allen doesn’t mention if they picked up or not. He says his second call was to his fiancee, Alexis. Then, he dialed up his mom, his siblings, and some friends from back home in Delaware.

The “Best Shot” hitmaker has already picked out a spot for his new trophy — in his studio, right above his laptop — “but I’m taking it with me everywhere I go for, like, two weeks,” he says. He’s headed back home to do some fishing, and the award will be coming with him.

“I’m gonna take it home so my Grandpop can see it, take it to my dad’s gravesite. I’m taking it with me to the Moose Lodge,” Allen shares. “I feel like this win is a win for slower, lower Delaware — my whole area, you know?”

Before he heads home, the country singer will be performing at Sunday night’s (April 18) 2021 ACM Awards. He’ll be singing his current single, “Freedom Was a Highway;” the studio version of the song features Brad Paisley.

After relocating from Las Vegas to Nashville in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACM Awards are back in Music City in 2021. Events will be spread out, airing from iconic venues (the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and the Bluebird Cafe). ACM will be following national, state and local guidelines related to the pandemic, as well as additional, self-imposed safety measures.

The 2021 ACM Awards will begin at 8PM ET and will air live on CBS and be available to stream on Paramount+. Sign up for the streaming service here.