2026 MusicRow Awards Nominees For Group/Duo Artist Of The Year

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 38th 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. 2.

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

49 Winchester has continued its rise with the release of its sixth studio album, Change of Plans, its first project for Lucille Records/MCA. Produced by Dave Cobb, the album earned praise from Billboard, Rolling Stone, People and NPR while helping the band surpass 500 million career streams, 2 million monthly listeners and more than 10 million streams of the project. The Virginia-based six-piece recently joined Eric Church at Red Rocks Amphitheatre before kicking off their North American run with Tim McGraw. Later this year, 49 Winchester will headline its first-ever show at Freedom Hall Civic Center Arena in Johnson City, Tennessee, marking the band’s only homecoming performance of 2026. Formed by childhood friends Isaac Gibson and Chase Chafin, the ACM-nominated group has steadily grown from regional venues across Appalachia to sold-out headline shows and international touring, building one of country music’s strongest grassroots followings while remaining rooted in the songwriting and musicianship that first defined the band.

Brothers Osborne are building on one of the most decorated careers of any duo in country music. The duo has earned seven CMA Awards, seven ACM Awards and 13 Grammy nominations, including a nomination for Best Country Duo/ Group Performance in 2025. Brothers Osborne also received the ASCAP Vanguard Award in 2019. Their catalog has surpassed 3.4 billion global streams while producing multiple Gold and Platinum-certified hits. Last year, the duo released the four-song Break Mine EP before returning with their latest single, “Finish This Drink.” Beyond performing, John Osborne has become one of Nashville’s most sought-after producers, producing Ashley McBryde’s Lindeville along with recent projects for Grace Bowers and Caylee Hammack. On the road, the duo’s latest headlining tour “We’re Not For Everyone” hit more than 50 markets. Brothers Osborne are currently in the studio working on new music and they recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their breakthrough album, Pawn Shop, the project that launched the duo’s career.

Dan + Shay have built one of the most commercially successful catalogs in modern country music. The duo has garnered more than 14 billion global streams and 139 worldwide Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold certifications, including 60 RIAA awards in the US. Dan + Shay recently celebrated their 11th country radio No. 1 with the Grammy-nominated title track from their fifth studio album, Bigger Houses. The pair has collected 10 ACM Awards, eight American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three Grammy Awards, two CMA Awards and two People’s Choice Awards. In 2024, they also became the first coaching duo in the history of NBC’s The Voice. Their catalog includes the 5x Platinum Justin Bieber collaboration “10,000 Hours,” which spent 21 weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart and surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams, along with “Speechless” and “Tequila,” certified 7x and 8x Platinum, respectively. The duo is gearing up for the release of their new album, Young, this month, and will embark on “The Young Tour” across North America in September.

Flatland Cavalry has expanded its reach from the Americana and country radio circuits to stages across the country. The six-piece recently released its fifth studio album, Work of Heart, while sending its debut country radio single, “Never Comin’ Back,” to stations across the country. The group has earned three consecutive ACM Group of the Year nominations, reached 1 billion global streams and notched seven No. 1 singles at Texas country radio. Flatland Cavalry’s music has also appeared across television and film, including Twisters, Paramount’s Yellowstone and Landman, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Netflix’s The Ranch. On the road, the band has headlined months-long tours while also joining Willie Nelson, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson. With vocals by Cleto Cordero, the group includes Jason Albers, Jonathan Saenz, Reid Dillon, Wesley Hall and Adam Gallegos.

Old Dominion added another major chapter to its career over the past year with the release of its sixth studio album, Barbara, and the band’s massive “How Good Is That – World Tour,” which included arena and amphitheater performances across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Following the tour, Old Dominion returned to Las Vegas for a two-night “OLD DOMINION. HITS. VEGAS.” engagement at Planet Hollywood, celebrating the band’s career-spanning catalog. The group recently earned its 11th consecutive ACM Group of the Year nomination with eight ACM Group of the Year and seven CMA Group of the Year wins already under its belt. Between the ACM and CMA Awards, Old Dominion has earned more Group of the Year honors than any other group in country music history. Earlier this year, the band completed a seven-show residency at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, raising more than $1.25 million for seven charities. Since breaking onto the country music scene, Old Dominion has garnered nine No. 1 singles at country radio, more than six billion on-demand streams and a dozen RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications.

The Red Clay Strays reached another career milestone this year with the release of their third studio album, Grateful. Produced by Dave Cobb, the 11-track project follows the success of Made By These Moments and includes “Demons In Your Choir,” “People Hatin’” and “If I Didn’t Know You.” At the 61st ACM Awards, the Alabama band was crowned Group of the Year for the first time after earning New Duo or Group of the Year honors in 2025. The group also performed “Demons In Your Choir” during the awards show alongside a full gospel choir. The Red Clay Strays then launched their largest headline run to date with the “Grateful Tour ’26,” featuring arena stops at Madison Square Garden, TD Garden, Rogers Arena, Bridgestone Arena, State Farm Arena and MGM Grand Garden Arena. The band also performed at Stagecoach and CMA Fest and hosted a Grateful album release concert at Nashville’s Pinnacle benefiting Thistle Farms. Since breaking through with the 3x Platinum “Wondering Why,” The Red Clay Strays have continued to expand their audience.