While the number of “groups” as defined by the Country Music Association (CMA) isn’t as vast as fans would hope (or deserve!), diving back into the past six years of nominations is quite a ride. Old Dominion’s six-year streak is impressive and deserving to some extent, but it would be wrong to assume these wins haven’t raised eyebrows. With that, we’re renaming some new winners in retribution rounds.
As defined by the CMA, Vocal Group of the Year goes to a group “defined as an act, composed of three or more people, all of whom normally perform together and none of whom is known primarily as an individual performing artist. This Award is based on the group’s musical performance as a unit on a country single or album release and their overall contribution to Country Music.”
If the CMA adheres strictly to their eligibility period (July 1st of the previous year through June 30th, the year of the show), some years are light on the number of works put out. If an artist’s eligibility is questionable with timing, their qualifying releases are dated below. Albums, singles, and EPs that don’t technically fall between the qualifying dates are still considered if they benefit the group’s “overall contribution’ during that time.
52nd Annual CMAs – November 2018
2018 was Old Dominion’s second nomination for Group of the Year and their first win. They debuted Happy Endings, which included happy singles “Written in the Sand” and “Hotel Key.” OD’s sophomore album was a country-pop treat that solidified the group’s brand in country music for years to come, but looking at other nominees for that year, were they deserving?
Lady Antebellum released Heart Break (just before eligibility), bringing us the radio-friendly singles “Heart Break” and “You Look Good.” While successful singles, the album proved a bit cheesy and middle-of-the-road. Heart Break is not Lady Antebellum’s most memorable album and not won’t make many “best-of” lists for 2018. LANCO launched Hallelujah Nights, including the hit “Greatest Love Story.” The album and single were fantastic debuts for LANCO (arguably when they peaked), but nothing except “Greatest Love Story” stood out enough to warrant a win in this category. Little Big Town rode the success of their eighth album, The Breaker (released February 2017), where “Happy People” and “When Someone Stops Loving You” brought listeners a feel-good song and emotional heartbreak, respectively. Ultimately, that album delivered a soft listening experience and isn’t LBT’s most memorable work.
That leaves us with Midland and their debut album, On the Rocks. This album escalated the Texas group to the big kid’s table as they created quality honky-tonk tunes for a diverse group of fans. Midland introduced its laid-back retro sound that played well for radio and “old-timey” country music fans. This album birthed the phenomenal single “Drinking Problem,” and Midland charmed audiences with glittery harmonies and alluring sound. With that, Midland should’ve been the Group of the Year at the 52nd CMA Awards.
53rd Annual CMAs – November 2019.
Neither Lady Antebellum nor Little Big Town dropped albums during the eligibility period. Lady Antebellum’s “What if I Never Get Over You” was one of their bigger singles since their earlier works and included similar themes and building lyrics, but it does not justify a win over OD. LBT’s single, “The Daughters,” included the group’s soft and literal lyricism paired with their classic harmonies. They also delivered “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” with Thomas Rhett, a brassy mess with too many cliches that didn’t help LBT’s prospects of a win.
Midland unveiled the single “Mr. Lonely” ahead of their sophomore album, Let it Roll (released just after eligibility). The group was piggybacking off of On the Rocks and launching into further success with their upcoming album. However, adhering to eligibility timing, “Mr. Lonely” doesn’t cut it. Zac Brown Band disembarked on the “Down the Rabbit Hole Live” tour and debuted the single “Someone I Used to Know.” While ZBB’s experimentation in electronic-pop was respectful, the single lacked any country elements and arguably flopped.
Old Dominion also didn’t drop an album but rode the wave of Happy Endings and put out singles, “Make it Sweet” and “One Man Band,” ahead of their self-titled album, Old Dominion (dropped after eligibility). Both songs were endearing, chart-topping singles that were just country and snappy enough for all kinds of listeners. More importantly, these singles were released early in OD’s discography, when these “happy-go-lucky” themes were a lot less predictable than they are now. Overall, there wasn’t a lot of qualifying music put out by this year’s nominees. If we’re relying on a group’s “overall contribution” to country music, with two solid singles, Old Dominion remains the winner of the 53rd Annual CMAs.
54th Annual CMAs – November 2020
Old Dominion debuted their self-titled album that continued to deliver feel-good tunes. But without the previously-released singles, the album is rather uninventive and where repetition started to set in. Most importantly, OD offered a “Meow Mix” version of the album in August of 2020 (out of eligibility technically), which is enough reason to take them out.
Lady Antebellum released the album Ocean, including singles “What If I Never Get Over You” and “Champagne Night.” Most of these tracks are fun and light with some emotional moments, but overall, Ocean includes too many monotonous themes. To earn their sole nomination over the six years, Rascal Flatts delivered the single “How They Remember You,” an album of the same name, and announced a Farewell Tour before disbanding in 2021. Unfortunately, COVID-19 canceled their tour, and while they weren’t the only group with struggles through 2020, the lack of material besides the not-so-groundbreaking single doesn’t warrant a win. Midland debuted Let it Roll and leaned into their rhinestone cowboy vibes, giving fans more of what they wanted. Namely, the single “Cheatin’ Songs” was a massive success. Although the album delivered their signature retro-country feel, it didn’t necessarily bring anything revolutionary to the table that wasn’t already in their first album.
Little Big Town released Nightfall, including singles “Over Drinking” and “The Daughters.” A carefully constructed album, every song has a thoughtfully-constructed sound of its own, with the group’s harmonies penetrating across the record. From drinking songs like” Wine, Beer, Whiskey” to delicate tunes like “Trouble with Forever,” Nightfall provided a comforting escape for listeners who needed it most in the pandemic. While these singles may not be the most memorable from LBT, the tenacious album is reason enough for LBT to clinch the win for the 2020 CMAs.
55th Annual CMAs – November 2021
While Lady A released What a Song Can Do (Chapter 1), their first album under their new name, they didn’t take this opportunity to shift gears, and each song drowns out the next in repetitive lyrics. Both Lady A and the Zac Brown Band delivered a collaboration with Shenandoah, but ZBB didn’t release anything besides the collab and an Island-y single. That said, neither Lady A nor ZBB clinch a win here.
Little Big Town didn’t release an album during the eligibility period, but rather two collaborations, including “Jambalaya”with Trombone Shorty, and “Fillin’ My Cup” with Hailey Whitters, which don’t warrant a win. OD delivered an EP – Old Dominion: Band Behind the Curtain, including a Kenny cover of “Save It for a Rainy Day” and “Say You Do.” While “I Was on A Boat That Day” proved to be a less than clumsy drinking song, the EP delivered an annoyingly average sound overall.
Midland dropped The Sonic Ranch, pushing forward with their neo-retro sound and country lyricism. While this isn’t the group’s most notable album, it’s still brilliantly crafted and demonstrates the group’s enduring ability to deliver its unique sound and chipper strumming instrumentals to an array of listeners. These reasons grant Midland the win for the 2021 CMAs.
56th Annual CMAs – November 2022
LBT released singles “Rich Man” and “Hell Yeah,” which delivered introspective lyrics and cheeky vibes, respectively, but weren’t necessarily the year’s top songs. Lady A unveiled the album What A Song Can Do, which didn’t provide any extraordinary singles (maybe “Like a Lady”) and certainly didn’t present anything new to country music. Midland dropped The Last Resort: Greetings From (released just before eligibility), which included “Longneck Way To Go” and “Sunrise Tells the Story,” but these aren’t Midland’s most memorable singles. While the album dives further into Midland’s immersive world of cowboy escapism, it doesn’t provide anything exceptional.
Old Dominion unveiled Time, Tequila & Therapy, including the bright hit, “No Hard Feelings.” While singing about boats and drinking, the group remarkably avoids unnecessary cliches and delivers a quality album for fans. OD was close, but Zac Brown Band’s aptly-named album, The Comeback, integrated a wide array of their old sounds: Caribbean music, rock, and essential country themes. Songs like “Out in the Middle” and “Wild Palomino” work seamlessly on their own and for the album. ZBB reached into their old toolkit while delivering new and timeless songs for many fans. For these reasons, ZBB is declared the rightful winner of the 56th Annual CMAs.
57th Annual CMAs – November 2023
Neither Lady A nor Midland had works put out during the eligibility period. Zac Brown Band rode the success of The Comeback and released a deluxe version, including remakes with the likes of Cody Johnson and Jimmy Buffett, but doesn’t grasp the win here.
OD had a myriad of material out during this period, including a Kenny Chesney collab and the singles “Memory Lane” and “I Should’ve Married You,” both of which were on the Memory Lane EP. OD continued to dole out their lighthearted sound, regardless of how smart the songs really were. While “Memory Lane” creatively served listeners with nostalgia, OD firmly stood too safely with what they knew and, once again, didn’t jump at an opportunity to shift gears.
LBT released a retro-heavy Mr. Sun that included dreamy tunes like “Three Whiskeys and the Truth” and lackadaisical “Hell Yeah.” The group opted for more solos to shine rather than harmony-forward tunes, providing an exciting edge for a group that’s been a powerhouse for almost two decades. While slow-paced, the album dives into a rich warmth where listeners hear them at their best. For these reasons, Little Big Town should’ve been Group of the Year for 2023.
