Little Big Town’s GRAMMY-Winning Tracks: What Made Them Award-Worthy

When it comes to country groups that can make you listen and gape at their four-part harmonies, Little Big Town certainly wears the crown, and their GRAMMY awards prove it. This powerhouse vocal group, comprising the same members since its founding, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook, has racked up serious recognition over the years.  

But what exactly made the Recording Academy hand them those golden gramophones?  

“Pontoon” from their fifth studio album, Tornado, is Little Big Town's first number one hit and their first GRAMMY win. It won the GRAMMY Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013 and has been certified double platinum.  

Co-writer Natalie Hemby said of the song, “I never knew it would get the reaction that it did. What was funny is, we'd be out on our boat, and I'd hear the song playing on all these different pontoon boats out on Percy Priest Lake, [located slightly east of Nashville]. It was so awesome to see the thing take off. Sometimes I find that it's a little surreal that that was actually the first No. 1 they ever had; the only reason I'm baffled by that is because I love so many of their other songs.”  

Little Big Town isn’t just a group with awesome harmonies; they’re also GRAMMY magnets. The group boasts of three wins and 15 GRAMMY Award nominations. Take "Girl Crush," for example: the track earned three nominations at the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song, and Song of the Year, and won the first two. 

Then there’s “Better Man,” a Taylor Swift-penned breakup anthem that earned them a GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2018 and a nod for Best Country Song, not to mention becoming one of their No. 1 hits. Even their Pain Killer album snagged a Best Country Album nomination at the 58th Grammys.   

Each of these nominations and wins spotlighted a different side of their artistry, reminding us why Little Big Town earned the Recording Academy’s favor throughout the years.  

Little Big Town’s signature sound and their four-part vocal harmonies are what set them apart from other country groups. Each member contributes and alternates as lead vocalists. Producer Jayce Joyce, who produced their albums Tornado, Pain Killer, and The Breaker, employs innovative production techniques, including experimenting with vocal arrangements, such as duets and varied vocal lines rather than simultaneous singing, and using an echo chamber for specific tracks to enhance a vintage sound.  

The band has plenty to celebrate; they released their 10th album, Mr. Sun, while marking 24 years together with all of the founding members still intact.  

Little Big Town’s consistent dedication to quality, their distinctive harmonies, and their evolution as individual artists, while still thriving as a group, have all contributed to their GRAMMY success. Even after all these years, the band remains committed to never being a ‘mail-it-in’ act, and their shift from chasing awards to prioritizing artistic growth will continue to fuel their journey together for years to come.