Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesIt was a night full of mixed emotions for Luke Bryan.
The country star attended the first annual American Country Countdown Awards last night and walked away a winner. But it also marked his first public appearance and performance since the tragic news of his brother-in-law's death.
Bryan was accompanied by his recently orphaned 13-year-old nephew, Til, whose father, Ben Lee Cheshire died last month at the age of 39. Lee had been married to Bryan's older sister Kelly, who died suddenly in 2007 at the age of 39 as well.
Til, who seemed to be enjoying the show, sat between Uncle Luke and the celeb's wife Caroline.
"Til is my sister and my brother-in-law's youngest, and we're going hunting tomorrow on a trip down to south Texas," the 38-year-old star told People. "So he came into town and we dressed him up and let him have a little fun with us tonight."
He added, "My wife Caroline took him shopping and got him some nice clothes and I loaned him one of my watches, so he's having a good time."
The singer was named CMA Entertainer of the Year but canceled his appearance to perform on the live CMT Artists of the Year show at the last minute due to the sudden passing of his brother-in-law.
When he took the stage last night in Nashville to accept the Male Vocalist of the Year award, he addressed the tragedy with the audience and thanked his fans for their support and love during this hard time.
"I want to get serious just for a second. I want to thank all of my fans for the last couple of weeks in my life, for keeping my family in your prayers. And I want to also recognize the country music community, all the artists."
He continued, "Fans, let me explain something to you: You guys support wonderful artists, because they have rallied around me and helped me and my family through the last couple of weeks. It's just nice to feel loved...thank you guys for an amazing 2014."