As the holidays approach, many of us are gearing up for extended visits with our family and friends. After his three GRAMMY nominations and the success of his Number One hit “Wanted” and his new single “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” Hunter Hayes has much to be thankful for this holiday season.

“I’m most thankful for my family and my friends, and music,” Hunter told CBS Local. “I love what I do. Music is what I live for, but everything that has happened to me is nothing if you can’t share it with the people you love.”

Despite his busy touring schedule, Hunter says he’s had time to go home and “rejoice with my mom and dad.”

“We’ve been celebrating all the really cool things that have happened this year,” he said. “At the end of the day you’ve always got your family and friends.”

While he initially had trouble selecting just one favorite holiday song, he chose a song that he covered last year.

“I think my favorite holiday song is ‘Go Tell It On the Mountain.’ There’s a lot of different versions of that song, but I love the sentiment in that,” he said. “I heard a James Taylor version which was acoustic, and it reminded me of a lot of the country things that I like. I love, love, love that song!”

Hunter Hayes is currently on tour with Carrie Underwood.

-Annie Reuter, CBS Local