It's Ba-a-ck! ACM welcomes new group and duo nominees after a long absence

Welcome back.

Neon Union, Restless Road and Tigirlily Gold are all nominated for the first time at the 59th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. But their arrival in the final ballot marks the return of the new Vocal Group or Duo of the Year trophy for the first time in five years.

LANCO received the material when it was last presented in 2019, but since then it has been a veritable wasteland for qualifying acts. The ACM requires at least three eligible nominees to enter each of its three new artist categories—new male, new female, and new group or duo—and while there have been duos and groups in the works in the intervening years, not enough have met the criteria. . The key data point was ACM's requirement that an artist reach the top 40 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart or Mediabase. The only act to achieve that goal was the now-defunct Gone West, who reached the top 30 in 2020, but because member Colbie Caillat was already an established artist, the band was ineligible.

For this year's vote, ACM expanded the criteria to 50 and — voilà! — Three artists made the grade as finalists for the May 16 ceremony.

“This has been a really big topic of discussion with our awards voting and membership committee,” says ACM's chief of staff/artist-industry relations, administration and governance Tommy Moore. “At the Academy, we really try to pride ourselves on being at the forefront of participation for young artists and we really want to give them a chance to shine.”

Not surprisingly, candidates in the category appreciate this opportunity.

“We had heard through the grapevine that the new duo or team of the year was coming back, but we still thought it would be very difficult to get nominations,” Neon Union said. Andrew Millsaps notes.

The lack of new duo or team options is a stark reality. The outlook has been so bleak over the past four years that even if the ACM had relaxed its top 50 chart requirement during that time, the industry would not have amassed three qualifying entries.

Part of that lack is the nature of the beast. Especially in the digital age, it's much easier for a solo artist to just make videos and post them on YouTube or TikTok and start building a following. The effort required to form a band or duo, schedule rehearsals, and plan marketing programs is much more difficult for an ensemble. And handling relationships—both within the practice and with a larger circle of family and associates—creates more tension, making it more difficult during the hungry years when meager earnings are shared.

“Being a team or a duo is such a delicate dynamic,” says Tigirlily Gold Krista Slaubaugh says. “You can't just slap two people together and call them a duo. You have to persevere through the difficult years because it won't always be easy.”

Even filling out the new team/twin field is a challenge. To get three nominees this year, ACM allowed Restless Road to enter the category despite not having a top 50 single in 2023. It had reached that level in 2022, and the group currently sits on the chart with “Last Rodeo” (Not 58, Country Airplay).

“There's been a slower release of bands, but I'm definitely starting to notice a lot more,” says Restless Road's Zac Bicken. He mentions Flatland Cavalry, who secured their first ACM vocal group nomination this year.

Notably, the Red Clay Strays could have been considered for a new band or duo on the strength of “Wondering Why,” which reached No. 18 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated Dec. 30, 2023. But, Moore says, no one did not submit them for consideration.

The ACM's three new artist categories differ from the Country Music Association, which has a single new artist of the year. And it's beneficial, as it means more artists are getting their first major ACM nomination. All of the 2024 New Group or Duo finalists are first-time nominees and will always associate it with the ACM.

“We try to get them in the fold early on,” says Moore, “and we find that the more we can educate them about the Academy and the charity aspect of ACM Lifting Lives, the more willing they are to stick with us throughout of years.”

Despite being nominated for the first time, the three new group or duo nominees should feel a bit at home. They all attended the 2023 ACMs in Frisco, Texas, and will return to the same venue this year, crossing familiar turf as they perform at the ACM Kickoff Concerts and walk the same red carpet. But they will do so as a finalist, which presents its own uncertainties. The winner will appear on the show, although they won't know who it is until two days before the event. All acts have musicians on standby in case they are needed. They will also discover, perhaps for the first time, what it's like to perform a stripped-down version of a song for their peers.

“Obviously, I would be so focused on doing a good job,” Slaubaugh says, “but then you look at, like, Chris Stapleton in the crowd? I guess we'll cross the bridge when we get there.'

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