The nominations for the 2022 CMA Awards were announced Wednesday (Sept. 7), and new artist Breland snagged his first-ever nod ahead of the ceremony.

The singer-songwriter is up for Musical Event of the Year for "Beers on Me," his collaboration with Dierks Bentley and Hardy. In an interview with Taste of Country Nights following the announcement, Breland revealed how he learned the news, and he shared his initial reaction to the honor.

He says he watched as the nominations were revealed live on Instagram, beginning with Entertainer of the Year and moving down the list. He paid extra attention to the New Artist of the Year category, and he began to have doubts that he would receive a nod this year when he didn't hear his name.

"I was like, 'I might not have anything,' and right towards the end of the post — it was a video unraveling in realtime — I'm sitting there at 7 o'clock in the morning, and ultimately I saw that 'Beers on Me' was nominated for Musical Event of the Year, me, Dierks and Hardy."

"I was like, 'Let's go!'" he exclaims.

Breland says he texted Bentley and Hardy to share his excitement and to congratulate them. Hardy is also nominated for New Artist of the Year and as a songwriter in the Song of the Year category for Morgan Wallen's "Sand in My Boots."

"Hardy is nominated for a lot of stuff this year, appropriately so, he's had a killer year, including Best New Artist, so I feel like this is a smaller one for him," he says. "But me and Dierks, this is our only one this year, so I'm excited."

Breland has been gaining ground in country music since the release of his viral, Platinum-selling hit "My Truck" in 2019. He has since collaborated with country heavyweights such as Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Lady A and others, in addition to Bentley.

He will release his debut album, Cross Country, on Sept. 9. With plenty more success to come, Breland sets his sights on the 2023 CMA Awards with a bold prediction:

"Next year. Next year, we're coming," he says. "Best New Artist 2023, CMAs, you heard it here first."

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