Success for Shelton has been a few years in the making. Just when it looked like he was starting to find his way in the music business, his record label, Giant Records Nashville, closed. Luckily for Shelton, the folks at parent company Warner Bros. Nashville were paying attention when they were choosing which Giant artists to keep. Warner Bros. acquired Shelton just as his debut single, “Austin,” hit the top of the country charts.

The song stayed at the No. 1 spot for five weeks, tying Billy Ray Cyrus’ 1992 record for “Achy Breaky Heart.” Shelton’s self-titled album, released last year, fared almost as well, debuting at No. 3.

The singer has recently been nominated for two ACM awards – top new male vocalist and single of the year.