From North Dakota to Nashville, Tigirlily Gold nominated for Country Music Television awards

Pamela Knudson, Grand Forks Herald
·3 min read

Mar. 27—GRAND FORKS — The sister duo Tigirlily Gold, originally from Hazen, North Dakota, has been nominated for two Country Music Television (CMT) awards, with voting continuing through Monday, April 1, on the CMT website,

www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards/vote/

.

Krista and Kendra Slaubaugh are up for Duo/Group Video of the Year and Breakthrough Female Video of the Year, for "Shoot Tequila," their first Top 40 single, which debuted last year.

The awards show will air at 7 p.m. (CDT) Sunday, April 7, on CBS, according to an announcement from a public relations firm.

This marks the duo's first nomination for a major award show.

"Being nominated for two CMT awards hasn't fully set in yet. We are grateful that all the time put in the last 11 years is really starting to pay off," the sisters said in a joint statement. "We believe in our fans so much, and we need their support in this situation, since these awards are fan-voted. Let's show them what North Dakota is made of! Thank you to everyone who has voted, and let's keep it going! We can't wait to represent our state in Austin, Texas, on April 7th for the CMT Awards!"

Prior to this nomination, Tigirlily Gold was named a 2024 CMT Next Women of Country, as their current single, "I Tried a Ring On" continues to climb the country charts.

Their standout harmonies have drawn recognition across the industry. The music industry's Billboard publication dubbed the pair "a harmonically savvy sibling duo." "I Tried A Ring On" garnered more than a half-million streams in the first week, impacting country radio on Jan. 22 as one of the most-added singles, with 47 first-week adds.

The song, inspired by the sisters' real-life heartbreak, adds a new layer of depth to their evolving story, as Country Now magazine, a source for country music news, notes the song allows them "to show what they are truly capable of, both as singers and songwriters."

"We are so grateful country radio has embraced 'I Tried a Ring On' right off the bat," the sisters said at the time. "We believe in this song so much and its ability to empower people going through heartbreak. We can't wait to see where this song takes us."

The duo's music continues to resonate with fans. Their upbeat single "Shoot Tequila" reached Top 40 status on country radio. The video has found viral success with millions of views across social media, and millions of streams across platforms.

The sisters have been playing music together since they could walk, and officially formed their band in high school. They crisscrossed the Midwest, attracting a fierce fan base and selling out amphitheaters across North Dakota.

After moving to Nashville, they landed a weekly residency at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row on the city's famed lower Broadway. Playing four-hour sets, three or four nights a week, the sisters developed a performance style that's not only captivating and fun, but revealing how entertaining is in their blood, according to their publicist.

After releasing their original song, "Somebody Does," in 2021, the track topped the iTunes chart and Tigirlily was signed to Monument Records. In July 2021, they released their self-titled debut EP, working with multiple-Grammy Award winner Shane McAnally, and hit the road with artists such as Walker Hayes and Ashley McBryde.

Their EP "Blonde," released last year, is a deeply personal project reflecting tales of love and loss alongside forceful anthems and songs of female empowerment.

After making their Grand Ole Opry debut and performing to a national audience on the "TODAY Show," according to their publicist, Tigirlily Gold is poised to bring girl-group energy back to country music.