Never as Good as the First Time: Kimberly Schlapman Recalls Little Big Town's First CMA Win

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Capitol NashvilleNow that Little Big Town has four consecutive CMA Vocal Group of the Year trophies to their credit, it won’t be an upset if the four-member-band with Alabama roots nabs another.  But as the 50th Annual CMA Awards are approaching, Kimberly Schlapman confesses she’ll never forget the significance of taking home the very first one.  

“I remember almost everything about winning our first CMA Award,” she says, recalling the 2012 show. “I remember being on the stage, our name is called — we’d been waiting a long, long time for that one. I think we made fools of ourselves pretty much because we were so crazy excited.”

Kimberly says it was even more gratifying that everyone in the room seemed to be as happy as she and Karen FairchildJimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet were.

“I remember most vividly as we were standing up there, all of our friends in Nashville standing up on the floor giving us a round of applause, and I think that’s one of the most humble moments we’ve ever had as a band, ‘cause so many people have cheered us on for so many years and it was like, the whole town of Nashville was a part of that award, not just us, but we shared that with every single person there.”

This year, the band who just released their new single, “Better Man,” could take home their fifth vocal group trophy, while Karen is up for Musical Event of the Year for “Home Alone Tonight” with Luke Bryan. Find out who wins Wednesday, November 2, when the 50th Annual CMA Awards air live from Nashville, starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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