Luke Combs Crowned Entertainer of the Year at 2021 CMA Awards: 'I Don't Deserve to Win It'

He'll remember this one "Forever After All!"

On Wednesday night, Luke Combs was crowned CMA Awards' entertainer of the year for the first time!

Before heading on stage to accept the trophy, Combs — who won male vocalist of the year in 2019 and 2020 — gave a kiss to his wife Nicole Hocking Combs.

"I'm really kinda at a loss for words. Alan Jackson said my name twice just now!" Combs, 31, said, referring to the three-time entertainer of the year winner who presented the award. "But I honestly don't know what to say. I have never written a speech for something like this, which is not serving me very well right now."

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He continued, "I just want to thank everybody in this room. The fans, every artist in this room, every single person that was nominated for this award this year and every year before deserves to win this. I don't deserve to win it. But I'm sure as hell glad that I did!"

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The singer then thanked his team and his label. "I love y'all," he said.

Check out PEOPLE's full CMA Awards coverage to get the latest news on country's biggest night.

Combs was nominated for the award against Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood.

Backstage after the show, Combs told PEOPLE how much the entertainer of the year honor meant to him after a difficult year.

"We hit the road super hard this year, and it's honestly been the craziest, most stressful, most strenuous tour that I've ever been a part of for a multitude of reasons," he said. "Obviously, you know, it's different touring right now with the climate of what's going on in the world, and my team stepped up for me when I needed them to and that meant so much to me that they were willing to risk their health, their safety to go out and play shows for people, [which] I think the world needs right now."

"Every show that we've done has been incredible, and the fans have been so excited to be there," he continued. "It's been so amazing to be a part of it every night and this really just feels like it's for everybody that goes out on the road with me and sacrifices time away from their family and loved ones to do what we do every night. So this one's for them."

This year, Combs was also up for male vocalist and song of the year, though he won neither. He hit the stage earlier in the night to perform his track "Doin' This."

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When presenting the award, Jackson said, "I can tell by you experience when you stand up here and they call your name it really brings you down to earth to realize all the great people that have come before you."

Last year, Combs took home the male vocalist of the year and album of the year awards for What You See Is What You Get.

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Last year, Church took home the honor for the first time after being nominated four times before.

"This award this year, at least for me has been about the loss of this year, loss of life, loss of playing shows, loss of freedom, loss of kids being in school," Church said as he accepted the award, referring to the pandemic. "And you know what the win is? The win is we all were here tonight, together as country music. In-person live, not on Zoom."

"And I really believe this, it's going to be music that brings us out of this. That is the one thing that is going to save the entire world," he continued. "Politicians are about division. Music is about unity. And I promise you, it's going to take everybody in this room to unite."

The CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan, are broadcasting live from Nashville on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.