“Dirt Cheap” Wins Song Of The Year

At the Academy of Country Music Awards, the award for Song of the Year goes to the songwriter and publisher responsible for the song you couldn’t stop playing on loop in your pickup.

At the 60th ACM Awards, which aired on Thursday, May 8, the nominees for Song of the Year were:

• “4x4xU,” performed by Lainey Wilson, with Wilson writing the song with Jon Decious and Aaron Raitiere;
• “Dirt Cheap,” performed by Cody Johnson, with Josh Phillips writing;
• “I Had Some Help,” performed by Post Malone and featuring Morgan Wallen, with Malone and Wallen writing the song with Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters, and Ryan Vojtesak;
• “The Architect,” performed by Kacey Musgraves, with Musgraves writing the song with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne; and
• “You Look Like Me,” performed by Ella Langley and featuring Riley Green, with Langley and Green writing the song with Aaron Raitiere.

For eligibility, each of these songs were released between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.

The Song Of The Year Winner

Presented by Lionel Richie, he noted, “Having grown up in Alabama, country music has always been a part of my DNA.”

Lionel went on to share his memory of winning the Song of the Year award in 1998 for “Lady,” performed by Kenny Rogers.

Announcing the award for Song of the Year, Lionel revealed “Dirt Cheap,” performed by Cody Johnson and written by Josh Phillips, had won.

Accepting the award, Cody said, “I feel like Ronnie Dunn, just a minute ago, whenever he said he was bettin’ on the people backstage, ’cause I literally said, ‘Well, she’s got it, or she’s got it, or he’s got it.’”

Looking back to his origins, he said he wanted to be a songwriter, initially, adding, “I didn’t know that it was going to be a career where I’d get to record the greatest songs in country music, written by some of the best songwriters in the world.”

He then turned it over to the writer of “Dirt Cheap,” Josh Phillips, celebrating that Josh “wrote the song by himself.”

Taking the mic, Josh said, “First and foremost, I’ve gotta say ‘thank you’ to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”

Josh then thanked his wife, Jordan, for suggesting that he send the song to Cody to perform.

Listen to the ACM Song of the Year winner here: