Old Dominion made history at the 2024 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday (Nov. 20) evening. Not only did the country outfit nab the 2024 CMA Award for vocal group of the year, but it became the second-most awarded vocal group in the history of the Country Music Association Awards.
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Accepting the award from The Oak Ridge Boys, frontman Matthew Ramsey acknowledged the moment: “We just made history, that’s crazy,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
He thanked The Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama and other groups who “paved the way for us,” and urged every creative person watching in the Bridgestone Arena or at home to create art during these “weird” times.
“If you are an artist of any type or a creator or a musician, this is when the world needs you the most, when it’s weird like it is right now,” said Ramsey. “So get out there and get together and create.”
While Ramsey’s speech wasn’t explicitly political or partisan, it arrives just two weeks after a divisive presidential election — albeit one that was won handily by the Republican Party, who nabbed control of the executive branch and Congress. Also, the word “weird,” intentionally or not, echoed the word Minnesota Governor Tim Walz used to describe President Trump and MAGA Republicans in a viral clip from July. Speaking on MSNBC about Republican efforts to censor school curricula and control reproductive rights, Walz said, “These are weird people on the other side. They want to take books away, they want to be in your exam room … these are weird ideas.” Walz’s viral clip preceded him joining Kamala Harris’ campaign in August as her would-be vice president on the Democratic Party ticket.
Then again, “weird” could apply to any number of things going on in today’s world, from the rise of artificial intelligence to the “Hawk Tuah” girl. And given that country music awards shows tend to veer a country mile wide of anything political, it could be something else entirely.
