GULF SHORES, Ala. — Two acts well known to audiences along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast came home from Nashville with three Josie Music Awards between them. Country singer-songwriter Webb Dalton won two trophies for his traditional country music, and the Americana trio The Krickets was named Group of the Year in the Folk/Americana category.
The honors were handed out Sunday, Sept. 20, at the 12th annual Josie Music Awards, held at the Grand Ole Opry House. For Dalton, the latest wins bring his career total at the Josies to five and extend a streak of honors from the program that now stretches across four straight years.
Two More Trophies for Webb Dalton
Dalton won Song of the Year in the Traditional/Classic Country Male category for “Back When We Were Young.” His self-titled project, “Webb Dalton,” also took Traditional/Classic Country Album of the Year.
“Back When We Were Young” was written by Dalton, Bo Roberts and Johnny Holland. The award gave Dalton back-to-back Song of the Year wins. A year earlier, his self-written “Don’t Forget, Remember Me” earned the same honor at the 11th annual ceremony, which was held Nov. 2, 2025, also at the Grand Ole Opry House.
Both award-winning songs appear on Dalton’s latest album, which was released through Hickory Withe Records. The nine-song record has been recognized as a cohesive body of work, and the album prize complements the individual award earned by its title track.
Dalton’s five Josie Music Awards are:
- 2023: Artist of the Year
- 2024: Songwriter of the Year
- 2025: Song of the Year for “Don’t Forget, Remember Me”
- 2026: Song of the Year for “Back When We Were Young”
- 2026: Album of the Year for “Webb Dalton”
Tough Fields in Both Categories
Neither win came easily. In the Traditional/Classic Country Male Song of the Year category, Dalton was one of 19 nominees, competing against 18 other artists. That field included Waylon Hanel, Dennis Ledbetter, Sean Poole, Drake Hyde, Faron Hamblin and Cody Glenn Cox.
For Album of the Year, he was up against seven other artists: Jack Phillips, Dennis Ledbetter, Ruth Manning, Waylon Hanel, Lee Newton, Preston McCabe and Dave Stamey.
The recognition follows strong chart performance. In September, “Back When We Were Young” climbed from No. 70 to No. 8 on a national Top 100 independent country chart. Earlier this year, in February, another song from the album, “Startin’ to Feel That Way,” rose from No. 92 to No. 7 on the same chart. Together, the two releases gave Dalton consecutive Top 10 independent country singles.
Four Decades in Country Music
Dalton has spent more than 40 years writing and performing country music. Over that career, he has shared stages with some of the biggest names in the genre, including George Strait, George Jones, Randy Travis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich and T. Graham Brown, among other established performers.
That background fits the category he keeps winning. Traditional and classic country leans on the sounds that shaped the genre for generations, from steel guitar and fiddle to storytelling lyrics about home, family and the passing of time. A song titled “Back When We Were Young” sits squarely in that tradition, and it has now earned Dalton back-to-back Song of the Year honors.
Local fans will have a chance to hear the award-winning songs in person soon. Dalton is scheduled to perform at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at The Hangout in Gulf Shores.
The Krickets Named Folk/Americana Group of the Year
The Krickets won Group of the Year in the Folk/Americana category, chosen from a field of 11 groups. The other nominees included Aaron Ball Band, The Erly, Shiny Shiny Black, Rocky LeRoe, Downtown Nowhere, and Andrew Moore and Hooch.
The Gulf Coast trio is made up of Emily Stuckey Sellers, Lauren Spring and Rachel Grubb. Their music blends Americana with folk harmonies, and each member sings and plays multiple instruments. The three singer-songwriters trade lead and harmony vocals, a signature of the group’s sound.
The band’s members live far apart. Stuckey Sellers is based in the Fairhope area, Spring lives in Port St. Joe, Florida, and Grubb lives in Lake City, Florida, near Jacksonville. Coming together for rehearsals and shows means long drives, but the three have made the arrangement work for years.
The musicians first came together to perform at a breast cancer benefit in Port St. Joe held in honor of Kristina “Cricket” Russell, and the band’s name grew out of that event. The Krickets continue to support The Cricket Fund, which provides cancer assistance to uninsured patients.
A Growing Catalog and a New Album
The Krickets released their latest album, “If You Only Knew,” in October 2025. It was recorded in the Muscle Shoals area and was produced, mixed and engineered by Austin Motlow. Every member contributed songs to the record.
The group’s earlier recordings include:
- “Spanish Moss Sirens,” the band’s 2016 debut, recorded in the Muscle Shoals area with producer Ben Tanner;
- “Redbird,” a 2018 album recorded in Nashville;
- “These Games,” a stand-alone single.
The Josie honor adds to an already impressive list of accolades. The Krickets are two-time winners of the Independent Music Awards’ Song of the Year honor, in the Folk and Alt-Country categories.
About the Josie Music Awards
The Josie Music Awards were founded in 2015 to recognize independent artists, songwriters, performers and music industry professionals. The program celebrates independent music across genres, with categories spanning vocal performance, songwriting, albums, music videos and industry work, and winners are chosen by a panel of musicians and industry professionals.
Over the years, the ceremony has been held at a series of well-known Nashville venues, including the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, before settling at the Grand Ole Opry House. The event features live performances and tributes to music icons, and it has presented lifetime achievement honors to country veterans including Lacy J. Dalton, Vern Gosdin, William Lee Golden and Razzy Bailey.
This year’s ceremony was filmed at the Grand Ole Opry House. A broadcast date has not yet been announced.
Next Up: The Frank Brown Songwriters Festival
Both award winners are also on the bill for the 42nd annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, set for Nov. 5 through 15 at venues along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast.
The festival, a fixture of the region’s music calendar, was founded by Flora-Bama co-founder Joe Gilchrist to honor Frank Brown, who worked as the night watchman at the Flora-Bama for 28 years and was known locally as a man of integrity and character. Brown died in 1988 at age 93. The event has grown to feature more than 200 artists at more than 30 venues in Pensacola, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, drawing songwriters and fans from dozens of states.
The festival is organized by the Frank Brown Foundation for Music, a nonprofit that also supports music education in area schools and offers scholarships to local high school seniors. Its focus on songwriters, rather than headliners, makes it a natural stage for artists like Dalton and The Krickets, whose awards this week recognized their writing as much as their performing.
Upcoming Performances
- Webb Dalton: 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, The Hangout, Gulf Shores
- Webb Dalton and The Krickets: 42nd annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, Nov. 5–15, venues along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast