Florida Georgia Line on ACMs: ‘We’re Winning Because of Our Fans’
On April 2nd, Florida Georgia Line will attend the 52nd annual ACM Awards as one of the event’s most-nominated acts, with five total. It’s impressive, particularly considering the duo scored their first ACM nomination and win just four years ago, taking home the New Artist of the Year prize in 2013. That’s when everything really started to click.
“That really boosted our career,” says FGL’s Brian Kelley. “It seemed like we took off on a tour right after that and things just exploded even more.”
This year, Kelley and his performing partner Tyler Hubbard picked up their second career nomination for Entertainer of the Year and second Album of the Year nomination, for 2016’s Dig Your Roots. They previously earned an Entertainer nod in 2015 and one for album in 2014, for their debut Here’s to the Good Times. Those two categories are closely linked for both of the guys, with their high-energy live show playing a role in shaping each album.
“We make these albums, we put our lives to the music, and put them out there for our fans and we go tour on them,” says Kelley. “And it’s super special to see how the studio translates to the road and the tour and amphitheaters and festivals and different kinds of people. Whether we take home the trophy [or not], we’re winning because of our fans.”
Florida Georgia Line, who have been dominant in winning the ACM Vocal Duo of the Year award since 2014, also scored a nomination for Single Record of the Year for “H.O.L.Y.” and a Vocal Event of the Year nomination for “May We All,” their collaboration with Tim McGraw. Both songs signaled a noticeable shift in outlook for Kelley and Hubbard, putting out more grounded messages of devotion, compassion and hope.
“The more you live and travel also helps you evolve and I think our music has evolved as well,” says Hubbard. “It goes hand in hand and I think that helps [us] stay relevant and fresh and continue to evolve. B.K. says we never want to [make] the same record twice, and that’s so true – we always want to continue to push ourselves.”
Currently, Florida Georgia Line is on their third single from Dig Your Roots with “God, Your Mama and Me,” a collaboration with the Backstreet Boys. The duo recently launched the 2017 edition of their Dig Your Roots Tour, which visits southern Mississippi and Louisiana this weekend.