Ray Mickshaw / FOX

Newly minted X Factor champ Tate Stevens is making good on his win.

The 37-year-old highway worker from Belton, Mo., who clinched his victory during the show's season-two finale last month, has inked a deal to write and record his debut album.

Per published reports, the country crooner, whose solid and steady performance on the show week to week made him a heavy fave to win, has signed with Syco Music/RCA Records Nashville, and his album is due this fall.

No doubt, mentor L.A. Reid is beaming with pride!

All the deets on the X Factor finale

Here's what else went down:

Babies! Elton John and David Furnish welcomed their second son together, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John. 

Tatted Up: Justin Bieber showed off yet another new tattoo.

No Baby Mamas: Sorry, guys, but the Oxygen reality show All My Babies' Mamas has been dropped.

Big Money: Megan Fox and hubby Brian Austin Greene won a whopping $620 in their legal victory against a paparazzo.

(Late-Night) TV Land: Jessica Simpson talks about her second pregnancy on Leno, while Jennifer Lawrence brings the laughs on Letterman.

Look at the big picture!