Hailey Whitters, Zach Bryan win New Artist of the Year ACM Awards

Nashville outsiders Hailey Whitters and Zach Bryan — one an Iowan who put it all on the line after a decade in a "Ten Year Town" and the other an Oklahoma-born, ex-Navy officer with engaging songwriting skills — were named the Academy of Country Music's New Female and Male Artists of the Year.

Whitters has benefited from the earnest folkiness of her debut radio single, "Everything She Ain't," achieving steady popularity after almost a year on the format. Plus, her critically acclaimed third studio album "Raised" is rooted in timeless, middle-of-the-road sounds.

She received her statue before her show-closing performance at the New Artist Winners Celebration concert at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. She thanked her team at Nicolle Galyon's Songs and Daughters — the three-year-old Big Loud Records-affiliated label and publishing conduit Galyon founded and to which Whitters paired Pigasus Records, her independent label.

Whitters' competition for the award included New York Times-acclaimed performer Priscilla Block, fast-rising radio star Megan Moroney and critically acclaimed artists Caitlyn Smith and Morgan Wade.

Whitters will also make her ACM Awards performance debut on Thursday evening.

As for Bryan (who was not present for the event), nearly a year has elapsed since the release of his much-beloved breakout, 34-track studio album "American Heartbreak," which has sat on top of the country, folk and rock Billboard album sales charts in the past 12 months.

That album's best-performing single, the moody, yearning ballad "Something In The Orange," typifies what a 2022 Tennessean article called "full-fledged heartland rock anthems."

Bryan's competition included current Morgan Wallen and HARDY tourmates ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman, plus a trio of country radio favorites in Jackson Dean, Dylan Scott and Nate Smith.

The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards will be presented Thursday night at Ford Center at The Star.

Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks will host the two-hour event. It will be free to stream live on Amazon's Prime Video and Twitch's Amazon Music channel. In addition, the event's full rebroadcast will be available after the show on Prime Video, Amazon's music app and for free on Amazon Freevee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hailey Whitters, Zach Bryan win New Artist of the Year ACM Awards