GRAMMY-Winning Country Group Little Big Town to Receive Artist of the Year Award at Music Biz 2016

February 3, 2016 – The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will present its prestigious Artist of the Year Award to chart-topping Country singing group Little Big Town at the Music Biz 2016 Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 18, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. The event will also feature the presentation of Breakthrough Artist Awards to Sam Hunt and Halsey, as well as the soon-to-be-announced Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement and Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award.

“Little Big Town had an absolutely massive 2015, scoring the year’s best-selling Country song with the 2x Platinum-certified ‘Girl Crush,’ which also won Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the 2015 CMA Awards, and is currently in the running for multiple GRAMMYs,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “The group has been a staple in the Country music scene for nearly two decades, racking up four #1 singles, two Platinum albums, 14 major awards, and a membership in the iconic and ultra-exclusive Grand Ole Opry. They have done impeccable work bringing Country music into the mainstream and have more than earned this distinction.”

“This year has been absolutely amazing for our band, and we’re so happy to receive this award,” said band member, Karen Fairchild. “We’ve been at it for a long time and have seen more than our share of successes, but 2015 definitely takes the cake! Thanks to Music Biz for this recognition and, of course, all our fans for making it possible for us to do what we do.”

Founded in 1998, Little Big Town (consisting of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jim Westbrook) has seen huge success with #1 singles “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” “Day Drinking,” and “Girl Crush,” which exploded in 2015. The track is their first Top 20 single on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and spent 13 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, breaking the record for longest-running #1 on the tally by a group of three or more members. The group has also scored two Platinum-selling albums with 2005’s “The Road to Here” and 2012’s “Tornado” and have won 14 awards (12 in the last four years), including a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Pontoon”; an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song for “Good Afternoon America”; 7 CMA Awards, including three straight Vocal Group of the Year awards as well as Single of the Year and Song of the Year for “Girl Crush”; 4 ACM Awards, and an American Country Award. They are currently nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Girl Crush” and Best Country Album for “Pain Killer” at the 2016 GRAMMY Awards.

Music Biz 2016, which will return to Nashville from May 16-18, is the music industry’s premier event, giving the commerce and content sectors a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. Registration is open now, with early bird discounts available until March 11, 2016. For more information or to sign up for the conference, visit www.musicbiz2016.com.