Much like one of his greatest inspirations, Merle Haggard, Cody Johnson has loudly insisted on doing things his own way. While working as a prison guard for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the “Human” crooner, 38, self-released six albums through his own CoJo label before finally inking a contract with Warner Records Nashville in 2018. Each album has seemingly topped the last, with his latest, Leather, spawning the hits “Dirt Cheap” and “The Painter.” Recently, Cody Johnson celebrated another milestone as another country superstar, Luke Bryan, paid tribute to him at this year’s ACM Honors ceremony.
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Luke Bryan took the stage Wednesday (Aug. 20) to honor Cody Johnson before presenting him with the Academy of Country Music’s Spirit Award. The five-time Entertainer of the Year joked that his high-energy performance of “‘Til You Can’t,” Johnson’s Grammy-winning 2021 hit, “took years off my life.”
What a night! @lukebryan is taking the #ACMHonors stage to honor @codyjohnson as he receives the @ACMawards Spirit Award! 🎤 pic.twitter.com/WhtADUM2Sp
— Nashville Tennessee (@visitmusiccity) August 21, 2025
The Spirit Award continues the legacy of 20-time ACM Award winner Merle Haggard. And much like the Okie from Muskogee, Johnson follows his own path, pens great songs, and prioritizes genuine performances and storytelling.
“Cody is an incredible artist and a singer who always brings his A game whenever he takes the stage,” Bryan said. “And I’m going to go off script because there’s been a lot of times I’ve been on the road watching all the social stuff that we’re watching, watching Cody uplift America and the soldiers and the families and [I] watch his passion. [I think] he’s going to blow his voice out doing that, but he never does.”
Cody Johnson Opens Up on Luke Bryan’s Influence
Before Luke Bryan sang Cody Johnson’s praises onstage at Nashville’s the Pinnacle, the “Son of a Ramblin’ Man” hitmaker took some time to return to the favor.
“Just watching his rocket ship to stardom, and to still kind of maintain that,” Johnson told Billboard of the “Play It Again” singer’s influence on his own career. “Even whenever he’s not releasing music, he’s still very much relevant as Luke Bryan, whatever he’s doing.”
His eyes twinkling, the three-time CMA Award winner added, “And he plays one hell of a golf game.”
Featured image by John Shearer/Getty Images for ACM
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