2025 MusicRow Awards Nominees For Group/Duo Artist Of The Year

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 37th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Group/Duo Artist of the Year category.

This category honors the achievements of a Nashville group or duo during the eligibility period.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

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. 15 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow subscriber here.

Brothers Osborne have built a reputation as one of country music’s most consistently bold and musically adventurous acts. The duo composed of siblings John and TJ Osborne have earned seven CMA Awards, seven ACM Awards, and a total of 13 Grammy nominations, including a 2025 nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. They won their first Grammy in 2022 for “Younger Me,” a song featured on the deluxe edition of their Grammy-nominated album Skeletons. Their latest self-titled album, Brothers Osborne, was released in September 2023 via EMI Records Nashville and includes the single “Nobody’s Nobody.” In 2024, they followed it with the Break Mine EP and returned in April 2025 with new track “Finish This Drink.” The duo has surpassed 3.4 billion global streams, with multiple RIAA-certified singles. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic live shows, they’ve toured extensively, including over 50 headlining dates on the “We’re Not For Everyone Tour,” and previous support slots for Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and Eric Church. John Osborne also continues to work as a producer, collaborating with artists like Ashley McBryde, Grace Bowers, and Caylee Hammack.

Award-winning duo Maddie & Tae continue to bring harmony-driven storytelling to the forefront of country music. Their latest project, Love & Light, released in May 2025, follows the What A Woman Can Do EP and builds on a decade-long career defined by honest songwriting and tight-knit collaboration. This year, the pair launched their “Love & Light Tour” following the wrap of their “Here’s To Friends Tour” in late 2024. Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr first broke out in 2013 with the Platinum certified No. 1 hit “Girl In A Country Song,” becoming only the third female duo in 70 years to top the Country Airplay chart. They followed with a second No. 1, the 3x Platinum-certified “Die From A Broken Heart,” making them the only female twosome with multiple Country Airplay No. 1s. Their catalog includes The Way It Feels and the Through The Madness volumes. Maddie & Tae have received honors from the CMA, ACM, CMT and Radio Disney Music Awards, alongside critical recognition from outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR and The Washington Post.

Old Dominion is known for combining its sharp songwriting with a dynamic live presence. The multi-Platinum band has earned nine No. 1 singles at country radio, over five billion on-demand streams, and more than a dozen RIAA-certified singles. They are the reigning 8-time ACM and 7-time CMA Group of the Year winners, most recently taking home their eighth consecutive ACM trophy in 2025 — breaking the record for both most consecutive and most total wins in the category. In 2024, they received their seventh straight CMA Vocal Group of the Year award, another record-setting milestone. To mark the achievement, the band held a seven-show residency at the Ryman Auditorium, raising over $1.25 million for charity. Their sixth studio album, Barbara, arrives August 22 and explores deeper themes while retaining the band’s melodic, hook-driven sound. The release coincides with their “How Good Is That – World Tour,” which brings them to amphitheaters and arenas across the U.S. in 2025, further reinforcing their status as one of country’s most consistent and in-demand touring acts.

Parmalee, the North Carolina native band composed of brothers Matt and Scott Thomas, cousin Barry Knox, and longtime friend Josh McSwain, was the most-played group at country radio in 2023 and has now earned five No. 1 singles, multiple Platinum certifications, and over 1 billion on-demand streams. Their breakout hit “Carolina” first took them to No. 1, followed by the Platinum-certified “Just the Way” with Blanco Brown. In 2022, they released “Take My Name,” which became Billboard’s Most Played Country Song of the Year. They followed that momentum with “Girl In Mine,” the eighth mostplayed song of 2023, and continued their streak into 2024 with the chart-topping “Gonna Love You.” Parmalee kicked off 2025 with their “Fell In Love With A Cowgirl Tour”, which spans across North America, and released their new full-length album of the same name on April 4. With four consecutive No. 1s and growing radio dominance, Parmalee remains a steady presence in today’s country landscape.

The Red Clay Strays, comprised of Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass) and John Hall (drums), were formed in 2016 in Mobile, Alabama. Their breakthrough single “Wondering Why” has amassed more than 75 million streams, and hit No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 USA Playlist. The tune also spent six weeks atop the Americana Singles chart, and made appearances on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Rock Songs, AAA chart and Hot Country Songs charts. Their Moment of Truth album hit No. 2 on the Americana Albums Chart and received critical acclaim. As fans flock to their electric live shows, the band wrapped up their headline tour last fall, which included a three night sold-out run at the Ryman Auditorium. Alongside making their Opry debut last year, they have also opened for Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Elle King and Old Crow Medicine Show. Their 2024 album Made By These Moments include hit tracks such as “Wanna Be Loved,” “I’m Still Fine” and “Drowning.” The group also represented themselves at CMA Fest 2025 with their main stage debut at Nissan Stadium.

The War And Treaty, the husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, have emerged as a standout act at the intersection of country, soul, and roots music. In the past year, they earned two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song, marking a major milestone in their continued rise. The duo has also received recognition from the CMA Awards (two-time Vocal Duo of the Year nominees), the ACM Awards (three-time Duo of the Year nominees), the CMT Music Awards, and the People’s Choice Country Awards. They were named Duo/Group of the Year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards in both 2022 and 2023. Known for their powerful live performances and genreblending sound, The War And Treaty will return to the road this fall for a headlining tour, bringing their genre-blending live show to audiences across the country. Their continued recognition across formats reflects a growing presence within both the country and Americana communities.