While the CMA Awards celebrated numerous artists throughout the night, Lainey Wilson stole the show. Not only did she host the event, but she walked away with awards for Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. If that wasn’t enough, she even performed at the Awards. Although the night was a big moment for Wilson, the country music duo Brooks & Dunn made some history themselves when winning the Vocal Duo of the Year award for the 16th time.
For most singers, winning an award only once is more than enough. Some are lucky enough to win an award twice or three times. But 16 times seemed almost impossible. But for Brooks & Dunn, it was just the latest milestone the legendary duo produced over their decades in country music.
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Reflecting on the careers they created and the legacy that continues, Ronnie Dunn said, “I’m a little emotional right now. Every night at these sold out shows, y’all, it’s surreal to us. People come up and Kix will go, ‘How many of you are first time Brooks & Dunn fans at the show?’ and 80% of the audience are raising their hands. So, we’ll take this and try to make you proud, okay?”
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For Kix Brooks, he recalled being asked if they ever got sick of award shows and country music. He insisted, “Oh, hell no, man. This is too good. Thank you very much.”
Aside from winning their 16th award for Vocal Duo of the Year, Brooks & Dunn added another major milestone. When heading into the CMAs, the duo found themselves tied for the most CMA Awards with 19. The person they were tied with was Chris Stapleton. But with their latest win, Brooks & Dunn now hold 20, which is the most in the show’s history.
While Brooks & Dunn have spent decades in country music, releasing music and winning awards, the duo wasn’t done quite yet. Releasing their latest album, Reboot II, in 2024, apparently, the singers looked to get back into the studio. “We’re kicking along. We’re working on it, we’re pushing that row. We’ve got a label that we had a really great meeting with. They can’t make us make a record, but they would love to see us do it. They don’t want to put out a record that’s not a great record.”
After years of chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, and historic wins, Brooks & Dunn could easily rest on their accomplishments. Instead, they’re headed back to work.
(Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
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