2023 MusicRow Awards Category Profile: Group/Duo Artist Of The Year

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Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 35th annual MusicRow Awards, we take a closer look at the Group/Duo Artist of the Year category. This category is voted on by MusicRow’s subscribers to honor outstanding achievements by a Nashville Group or Duo during the eligibility period.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Presenting Sponsor of the 2023 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 18 at 5:00 p.m.

To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow subscriber here.

The reigning CMA and ACM Duo of the Year winners, Brothers Osborne are connected by not just blood, but also a lifetime of performing together. The siblings, John and TJ, took home their first Grammy in 2022, winning Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their song “Younger Me,” inspired by TJ’s recent coming out. The song is featured on the deluxe version of their Grammy-nominated album, Skeletons. The band has been nominated for 10 Grammys in total, standing as a five-time CMA Vocal Duo of the Year and a four-time ACM Duo of the Year. Their critically acclaimed hit songs have tallied multiple RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications, while surpassing more than 2.7 billion global streams. Brothers Osborne’s upcoming, self-titled fourth studio album is set to release in September and features the chart-climbing single “Nobody’s Nobody.” The duo’s latest headlining “We’re Not For Everyone Tour” hit more than 50 markets.

Award-winning group, Little Big Town first entered the music scene over 20 years ago. Comprised of Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, the band has celebrated multiple No. 1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015 “Girl Crush” and the Grammy-winning, multi-week No. 1 single “Better Man.” The band’s self-produced ninth studio album Nightfall was released January 2020 and hit the top of the Billboard Country Charts. The record included critically acclaimed and Grammy nominated “The Daughters,” “Over Drinking” and “Wine, Beer, Whiskey.” Little Big Town has earned more than 45 award show nominations and has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple Grammy, AMA, People’s Choice, CMA and ACM Awards, in addition to an Emmy Award. Their 10th studio album Mr. Sun debuted as the Top Country Album by a group in 2022.

Since Maddie & Tae broke onto the scene in 2013 with their Platinum-selling smash, “Girl In A Country Song,” the duo’s Maddie Font and Tae Kerr have charmed fans with their tight harmonies, unbreakable bond and honest songwriting. In 2022, the two released volumes 1 and 2 of their Through The Madness projects, which follows their No. 1 debuting The Way It Feels album, including the 3-times Platinum-certified No. 1 hit, “Die From A Broken Heart.” With “Die From A Broken Heart” topping the country airplay charts, Maddie & Tae became the first and only female twosome with multiple No. 1s. They took home Group/Duo Video of the Year at the 2022 CMT Music Awards and were nominated an eighth time for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 56th CMA Awards. Maddie & Tae’s headlining “All Song No Static Tour” sold out major markets coast-to-coast in 2022, with additional shows extending through spring of 2023. The duo recently started a new chapter of music with the release of their new track, “Heart They Didn’t Break.

Old Dominion has carved out a space for themselves at the forefront of country music with their clever lyrics and an infectious sound created by members Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi, Whit Sellers and Geoff Sprung. Since breaking onto the music scene, the band has notched nine No. 1 singles at country radio, surpassed five billion ondemand streams, earned a dozen RIAA Platinum and Gold single certifications and headlined arenas and amphitheaters around the globe. The band are currently the reigning sixtime Academy of Country Music and five-time Country Music Association Group of the Year. Old Dominion’s 8-song Memory Lane EP was released in June, and its title track recently topped the charts. They are currently out on the road on their “No Bad Vibes Tour,” which has sold out multiple dates and spread the joy found in Old Dominion hits.

The last few years for Parmalee have been nothing short of career years. The band—comprised of brothers Matt Thomas and Scott Thomas, along with their cousin Barry Knox and friend Josh McSwain—first topped the charts in 2013 with “Carolina.” The band didn’t return to the chart pinnacle until 2021 with their Platinum-certified “Just The Way” with Blanco Brown. They followed its massive success with “Take My Name,” which was Billboard’s Most Played Country Song of 2022. Their latest single “Girl In Mine” is Top 10 and climbing. Back in radio’s good graces, Parmalee recently announced they will release a new album, For You 2, in September. With a full slate of summer festivals and amphitheaters, Parmalee will take their hit-packed set on tour with Grammy Award winners Train, later this summer. In July, the band celebrated the tenth anniversary of their Grand Ole Opry debut.

Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and the Americana Music Association as 2022 Duo/Group of the Year. The duo have dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends such as Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle and Van Morrison among them. The War And Treaty released their major label debut album Lover’s Game in March. The Dave Cobb-produced project included fan-favorites “Dumb Luck,” “Blank Page,” “That’s How Love Is Made” and “Have You A Heart.”

LB Cantrell
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