The Red Clay Strays were notified that they had won the ACM Award for new duo or group of the year on Monday (April 28) while recording with producer Dave Cobb in Savannah, Ga. Cobb also produced their first major-label album, Made by These Moments, which reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 29 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
The news was revealed to the band by the winningest artist in ACM history, Miranda Lambert, via a congratulatory phone call. Lambert previously informed Ella Langley of her win for new female artist of the year.
Restless Road and Treaty Oak Revival were the other nominees for new duo or group of the year. This was the second nomination in the category for Restless Road, which means they cannot compete in this category again. Because the major country music awards shows allow artists two nominations in new artist categories, Treaty Oak Revival can.
The Red Clay Strays are also nominated for group of the year, where they are squaring off with Flatland Cavalry and three past winners in the category – Little Big Town, Old Dominion and Rascal Flatts.
The Red Clay Strays won emerging artist of the year at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards. They were nominated for vocal group of the year at the 2024 CMA Awards.
The group has had some big breaks, including having a song (“Caddo County”) on the best-selling Twisters: The Album, and opening selected dates on The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds tour.
Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, the band is comprised of Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (guitar and vocals), Zach Rishel (guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), and Sevans Henderson (keys).
Langley and Zach Top, the winner for new male artist of the year, are set to perform on the 60th ACM Awards. The Red Clay Strays will probably also join the line-up of performers, though for now we are told only that they “will be celebrated” on the show.
The 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will stream live exclusively for a global audience on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. A limited number of tickets to the landmark 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
The ACM Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
