Luke Bryan has three nominations, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Crash My Party, going into Wednesday night’s CMA Awards. Just a few years ago, he was chomping at the bit to be able to even perform on the show, and this year, he was the first one to be asked to participate.

“I just truly love going to awards shows, having the opportunity to perform and be on TV and having nominations. What an honor. What an amazing situation, and to be asked. You know, not long ago, I would’ve chopped my leg off to be performing on these awards shows, and now I’m in the situation where I’m one of the first artists that gets asked to perform, and I’m so proud of that spot in my career.”

Luke will release his new single, “I See You,” on Monday (November 3rd).

Luke Bryan (CMA 2014) OC: …It’s fun. :48
“For me to get nominations is very flattering and amazing and to be up for Album and Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year – I love it. I don’t take it for granted. I just truly love going to awards shows, having the opportunity to perform and be on TV and having nominations. What an honor. What an amazing situation, and to be asked. You know, not long ago, I would’ve chopped my leg off to be performing on these awards shows, and now I’m in the situation where I’m one of the first artists that gets asked to perform, and I’m so proud of that spot in my career. It’s fun.”

Luke Bryan (CMA Album 2014) OC: …got recognized. :55
“This album, obviously being up for Album of the Year, I mean I feel like it’s, I hope I can say this about my next album, but I truly know without a doubt that Crash My Party is my best album from the first track to the last track. When people put their hard-earned money down to buy your product, your album, your life, your heart, your work, your dreams, your sleepless nights, that’s amazing to me. I mean, they put down their money and they’re costing themselves something else by buying your music. It’s a very, very amazing thing that happens in my life as a country music artist, and I’m just proud to be in the category and love the fact that the album got recognized.”

Luke Bryan (CMA 2014) 2 OC: …to be there. :51
“I feel like the group of everybody involved, they’re just as flattered to be in it too. I mean, you hear their records, and they’re flawless and amazing and spotless, but we all arrive at our records in different manners, which makes things that much more special. I know Keith Urban sits down there and plays these licks on guitars that I wouldn’t even know where to start, and then I do things that Keith Urban doesn’t do, and then Miranda [Lambert] comes at it from a whole different process and Blake does too. All of these artists that get to this level, they don’t do it by accident; none of it is by accident. It’s because they’re amazingly smart, and they deserve to be there.”