The Red Clay Strays just added another shiny trophy to the mantle, and frankly, the mantle is going to need reinforcements soon.

The Mobile, Alabama roots-rock revivalists took home the Academy of Country Music Award for Group of the Year at Sunday night’s 61st annual ACM ceremony in Las Vegas. It’s their second career ACM win, following last year’s nod for New Duo or Group of the Year — proof that the band has officially graduated from “ones to watch” status into the big leagues.

To mark the moment, the band delivered a goosebump-inducing performance of their latest single, “Demons In Your Choir,” backed by a full gospel choir. Rolling Stone summed it up best, writing that “the performance showed why the Alabama band was worthy of their win for Group of the Year.”

Watch the official music video for “Demons In Your Choir” here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Red+Clay+Strays+Demons+In+Your+Choir

The timing couldn’t be sweeter. The Red Clay Strays’ eagerly anticipated new album, Grateful, arrives Friday, June 5 via HBYCO Records/RCA Records. The 11-track collection — once again helmed by 9x GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell) — is built for both Saturday night dance halls and Sunday morning church pews, a duality the Strays have made their signature.

It’s a remarkable chapter in a fast-moving story. The band went from a crowdfunded debut (2022’s RIAA Gold-certified Moment of Truth) to a 3x RIAA Platinum #1 single (“Wondering Why” from 2024’s Made By These Moments) to a trophy case stacked with hardware from the Americana Music Honors & Awards, the CMA Awards, and now two ACM Awards.

And they’re not slowing down. The Grateful Tour ’26 — the band’s biggest headline run yet — kicks off July 30 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, before steamrolling into iconic rooms like Boston’s TD Garden (Aug 1), Madison Square Garden (Aug 9), Vancouver’s Rogers Arena (Aug 30), two nights at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (Oct 22-23), and Atlanta’s State Farm Arena (Nov 13). Special guests along the way include The Revivalists, Sierra Ferrell, Wyatt Flores, Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith and The Saints, Dylan Gossett, Haley Reinhart, Brent Cobb, and Australia’s Sweet Talk.

Festival fans, you’re covered too: catch the Strays at CMA Fest (June 5), Tailgates N’ Tallboys (June 21), Born & Raised (Sept 19), and Bourbon & Beyond (Sept 26). Plus, the band is hosting their first-ever “Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026” at Abayance Bay Marina in Rexford, MT from June 24-28, featuring headline sets from the Strays, Lukas Nelson, and St. Paul & the Broken Bones.

Pre-order Grateful now, and start clearing space on your playlists — this band isn’t going anywhere but up.