Cody Johnson It’s giving credit where credit is due.

After winning Album of the Year for her ninth studio album, Leather, to the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards On Wednesday, November 20, the 37-year-old country star took a moment to attribute his success to his wife, Brandi Johnson.

“She was the first one to get up out of her seat, maybe besides Jelly Roll,” Cody told PEOPLE in the press room at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, reflecting on the moment her name was called for victory. “Without Brandi, I wouldn’t be here. I’m serious when I say that. Without Brandi, I would probably be dead or in jail.”

Cody went on to praise Brandi, with whom he shares two daughters, calling her “the woman who encouraged me to be the man I am as a husband, as a father, as a CEO of a company, as a leader”.

“And I owe it all. I have this woman sitting right there,” he adds. “So if you want to clap… that’s why.”

Cody’s latest CMA Awards win edged out competition featuring the likes of Kacey MusgravesLuke Combs, Chris Stapleton and Jelly roll. He also received nominations for single of the year (“Dirt Cheap”), song of the year (“Dirt Cheap”, “The Painter”), male vocalist of the year and music video of the year. (“Dirt Cheap.”, “The Painter.”

Elsewhere during the show, Cody took the stage alongside his collaborator Carrie Underwood to perform their duet “I’m Gonna Love You”.

Cody previously told PEOPLE in November 2023, shortly after the release of “The Painter,” that he I immediately thought from Brandi, his wife of now 15 years, after hearing the demo of the song for the first time. He particularly identified with the phrase: “For every wall I built, she saw a canvas.” »

“I have often tried, unintentionally – and intentionally – to build walls around myself because I am a stubborn cowboy sometimes,” he said at the time. “And she saw potential.” She saw growth. She saw an opportunity. She saw me before I saw myself. And without her, I wouldn’t be here.

Cody added that the song “was a great way for me to pay homage to the true unsung hero.”

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The CMA Awards weren’t the first time Cody attributed his success to Brandi. Last year, in an interview with Cowboys and Indians magazine, Cody revealed that he might not have been able to take the financial plunge to pursue music full-time without Brandi, who left college so she could work two jobs and help support themselves. their needs.

“I owe him just about everything I have,” he said. “She had complete confidence in me. I made up for my lack of confidence in many ways. She recently said, ‘I always knew you would be that man. I knew that man was in that boy.’ ”

“There were times when I wanted to quit music, even in the last five years. I came home and said, ‘I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. It’s eating me up.’ And she was like, ‘Yes, you can. You need to get back to work, get in a better frame of mind and see this through.’ And I did,” Cody added. “If I had to give up everything for her, I would.”