This is a list of notable events in

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

that took place in 2018.

Events

* January – The critically acclaimed

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

/ CMT series ''

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

'' announces it will stop production after its sixth season which premiered on January 4, 2018. The show's last episode aired on July 26, 2018. * January 17 –

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs and Country ...

announces that he has left

Sony Music Nashville Sony Music Nashville is the country music branch of the Sony Music Group. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Sony Music Nashville includes its three country recording labels Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville, and RCA Nashville, as well as ...

after 23 years and has subsequently signed with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

Nashville. * February 2 –

Montgomery Gentry Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John Michael Mo ...

release their final album together, ''Here's to You'', following the death of

Troy Gentry Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John Michael Mo ...

in September 2017. * April 14 – Weeks after his impromptu performance of the

Hank Williams Sr. Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

hit song "

Lovesick Blues "Lovesick Blues" is a Tin Pan Alley song, composed by Cliff Friend, with lyrics by Irving Mills. It first appeared in the 1922 musical "Oh, Ernest", and was recorded that year by Elsie Clark and Jack Shea. Emmett Miller recorded it in 1925 and ...

" at his local Wal-Mart in southern Illinois had made him a viral country phenomenon, 11 year old

Mason Ramsey Mason Ramsey (born November 16, 2006) is an American singer. In March 2018, after gaining Internet fame from a viral video of him yodeling " Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams at a Walmart, Ramsey was signed to Big Loud. He is known for his sing ...

realizes his dream of performing at the Grand Ole Opry. Five years later, a teenaged Ramsey would return to the Opry, performing the song again on the 75th anniversary of the country standard. * April 15 – The

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country musi ...

awards return to Las Vegas for the first time since the October

2017 Las Vegas shooting On October 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old man from Mesquite, Nevada, opened fire on the crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in . From his 32nd-floor suites in the Mandalay Bay hotel, he fir ...

, with

Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed " the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 single ...

returning as host;

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

makes her comeback performance after months out of the public eye while recovering from injuries she suffered in a fall at home. * April 30 –

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Mad ...

announces ''Real Country'', a reality competition show designed to find the next big country star and featuring

Travis Tritt James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...

Jake Owen Joshua Ryan Owen (born August 28, 1981), known professionally as Jake Owen, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2006, he released his debut studio album, ''Startin' with Me'', that year. This ...

and

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

as judges. * June 8 –

Sugarland Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, at which point Kristen Hall ...

returns with the release of their first album together since 2010, ''Bigger.'' * June 25 –

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

announces it will air "iHeartCountry Festival", featuring headliners

Luke Bryan Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country singer, songwriter, and television personality. He began his music career writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington before signing with Capitol Nashville in 2007 ...

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Awa ...

, and more in August. * June 26 –

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

, and

Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill ...

are announced to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019. * July 25 –

is announced as one of the recipients of the 2018

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...

. * August 8 –

announces her pregnancy with her second child. * September 20 – Carrie Underwood receives her star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

. * November 20 –

Jimmie Allen James Edward Allen (born June 18, 1985) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Broken Bow Records imprint Stoney Creek, for which he has released the two singles " Best Shot" and " Make Me Want To" and the 2018 albu ...

reaches number one on

Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990. This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...

with "

Best Shot "Best Shot" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Jimmie Allen. He wrote the song with Josh London and J.P. Williams, and released it in February 2018 via Stoney Creek as his debut single. It appears on his 2018 debut ...

", making him the first African American to send a debut single to the top of that chart.

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs,

, or

Canada Country The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the wor ...

charts in 2018:

Singles released by American and Australian artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Notes

* "—" denotes releases that did not chart * A ^ Current singles.

Top new album releases

The following albums placed on the

Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...

charts in 2018:

Other top albums

Deaths

* January 2 –

Rick Hall Roe Erister "Rick" Hall (January 31, 1932 – January 2, 2018) was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who became known as the owner of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. As the "Father of Muscle Shoals Music", he was ...

, 85, record producer and owner of

FAME Studios FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording locations of th ...

* January 23 –

Lari White Lari Michele White Cannon (, ; May 13, 1965 – January 23, 2018) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her debut in 1988 after winning ''You Can Be a Star'', a televised talent competition ...

, 52, singer-songwriter and actress best known for the hit "

Now I Know "Now I Know" is a song written by Cindy Greene, Don Cook and Chick Rains, and recorded by American country music artist Lari White. It was released in September 1994 as the second single from the album ''Wishes''. The song reached number 5 on th ...

" (advanced peritoneal cancer). * February 12 –

Daryle Singletary Daryle Bruce Singletary (March 10, 1971 – February 12, 2018) was an American country music singer. Between 1995 and 1998, he recorded for Giant Records, for which he released three studio albums: '' Daryle Singletary'' in 1995, '' All Because ...

, 46, neotraditionalist singer-songwriter with hits including "

I Let Her Lie "I Let Her Lie" is a song written by Tim Johnson, and recorded by American country music artist Daryle Singletary. It was released in July 1995 as the second single from the album ''Daryle Singletary''. The song reached number 2 on the ''Billboa ...

", "

Amen Kind of Love "Amen Kind of Love" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Wayne Tester, and recorded by American country music artist Daryle Singletary. It was released in October 1996 as the first single from the album '' All Because of You''. The song reached nu ...

" and "

Too Much Fun "Too Much Fun" is a song written by Curtis Wright and Jeff Knight, and recorded by American country music singer Daryle Singletary. It was released in November 1995 as the third single from his self-titled debut album. It peaked at number 4 on ...

". (blood clot) * February 25 –

Bruce Nelson Stratton Bruce Nelson Stratton (May 15, 1943 – February 25, 2018) was an American radio personality. Known as "Dr. Bruce", Stratton began his career in the 1960s and 1970s where he served as on-air personality and programmer for such legendary Country sta ...

, 74, American radio personality (throat cancer). * March 2 –

Ronnie Prophet Ronald Lawrence Victor Prophet (26 December 1937 – 2 March 2018) was a Canadian-American country musician and comedy performer. He was born in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. In his childhood, Prophet lived in Calumet, Quebec, and began perfo ...

, 80, Canadian country music singer (multiple organ failure). * March 18 – Hazel Smith, 83, American country music journalist, publicist and songwriter; first to coin the phrase "outlaw" in relation to country music. * March 27 –

Kenny O'Dell Kenneth Guy Gist Jr. (June 21, 1944 – March 27, 2018), known as Kenny O'Dell, was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for writing the number-one country hits " Behind Closed Doors" (recorded by Charlie Rich, 1973) and ...

, 73, American country singer-songwriter (" Behind Closed Doors", "

Lizzie and the Rainman "Lizzie and the Rainman" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell and Larry Henley. The song was first recorded in 1972 being that year a single release for its co-writer Kenny O'Dell and an album cut for respectively Bobby Goldsboro (''California Win ...

", "

Mama He's Crazy "Mama He's Crazy" is a song written by Kenny O'Dell, and originally recorded by American country music duo The Judds. It was released in April 1984 as the second single from their debut January 1984 EP '' Wynonna & Naomi''. The song was re-release ...

"),

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

winner (

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of President of the United States, United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom K ...

). * April 17 – Tom McBride, 81, Irish country star and lead singer of

Big Tom and The Mainliners Big Tom and The Mainliners were a Country and Irish showband from the Castleblayney area of County Monaghan, Ireland. Timeline 1966–1975 Originally named as "The Mighty Mainliners Showband", the band achieved fame after appearing on RTÉ ...

. * April 18 –

Randy Scruggs Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was an American music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was named Musician of the Year at the Country Music ...

, 64, multiple

-winning songwriter and guitarist; son of

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called " Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-fing ...

. * June 2 – Wayne Secrest, 68, bassist for

Confederate Railroad Confederate Railroad (originally known as "Confederate RR") is an American country rock band founded in 1987 in Marietta, Georgia, by Danny Shirley (lead vocals), Michael Lamb (lead guitar), Mark Dufresne (drums), Chris McDaniel (keyboards), War ...

* June 5 – Billy ThunderKloud, 70, Native American country music singer. (complications from stroke and pneumonia). * August 4 –

Lorrie Collins Lawrencine May "Lorrie" Collins (May 7, 1942 – August 4, 2018) was an American country, rockabilly and rock and roll singer. Beginning in the mid-1950s, she and her brother, Larry Collins, performed as the Collins Kids. Early life Born in ...

, 76, American

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...

singer, member of

The Collins Kids The Collins Kids were an American rockabilly duo featuring Lawrencine "Lorrie" Collins (May 7, 1942 – August 4, 2018) and her younger brother Lawrence "Larry" Collins (born October 4, 1944). Their hits in the 1950s as youngsters, such as "Hop ...

. * October 27 –

Freddie Hart Frederick Segrest (December 21, 1926 – October 27, 2018), known professionally as Freddie Hart, was an American country musician and songwriter best known for his chart-topping country song and lone pop hit " Easy Loving," which won the Co ...

, 91, singer-songwriter ("

Easy Loving "Easy Loving" is a song composed by country music singer-songwriter Freddie Hart. Released in the summer of 1971, it became Hart's breakthrough hit and a country music standard. Song history Hart, a country music stalwart since the late 1950s, ha ...

", "

My Hang-Up Is You "My Hang-Up Is You" is a 1972 single by Freddie Hart Frederick Segrest (December 21, 1926 – October 27, 2018), known professionally as Freddie Hart, was an American country musician and songwriter best known for his chart-topping country s ...

", " Trip to Heaven", "Hang In There Girl") (pneumonia). * November 1 – Dave Rowland, 74, lead singer of

Dave & Sugar Dave & Sugar was a pop-styled American country music trio which enjoyed its peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. The trio consisted of lead singer Dave Rowland and initially on backing vocals, Vicki Hackeman and Jackie Frantz. Over time, the ...

(stroke). * November 15 –

Roy Clark Roy Linwood Clark (April 15, 1933 – November 15, 2018) was an American singer and musician. He is best known for having hosted ''Hee Haw'', a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997. Clark was an important and influen ...

, 85, country music singer, musician and host of

Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 1 ...

(complications from pneumonia). * December 15 –

Jerry Chesnut Jerry Donald Chesnut (May 7, 1931 – December 15, 2018) was an American country music songwriter. His hits include " Good Year for the Roses" (recorded by Alan Jackson, George Jones and Elvis Costello) and " T-R-O-U-B-L-E" (recorded by Elvis Pr ...

, 87, songwriter ("

It's Four in the Morning "It's Four in the Morning" (also known as "Four in the Morning") is a song made famous by country music singer Faron Young. Released in 1971, the song was his first No. 1 hit single on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart since 1961's "He ...

", " T-R-O-U-B-L-E") * December 22 –

Jimmy Work Jimmy Work (March 29, 1924 – December 22, 2018) was an American country musician and songwriter best known for the country standard " Making Believe". Work was born in Akron, Ohio, but moved to Dukedom, Tennessee, with his family at age two. ...

, 94, American country singer-songwriter ("

Making Believe "Making Believe" is a country music song written by Jimmy Work. Kitty Wells recorded a chart-topping version in 1955. The song is on many lists of all-time greatest country music songs and has been covered by scores of artists over the past fift ...

"). * December 31 –

Ray Sawyer Ray Sawyer (February 1, 1937 – December 31, 2018) was an American percussionist and vocalist with the 1970s rock band Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. Though primarily a backing vocalist and occasional percussionist on congas or maracas, he s ...

, 81, American country singer Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (short illness).

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Hall of Fame

Tom T. Hall Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...

and Dixie Hall *

Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ...

Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul O. Williams (1935–2009), American science-fiction author and poet * Paul L. Williams (author) (born 1944), FBI consultant, journalist * Paul Williams (journalist) (1948–2013), American founder of mu ...

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

, bluegrass-influenced-and-styled singer-songwriter-musician and leading figure in the neotraditionalist movement of the 1980s onward (born 1954). *

Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...

, leading singer of the 1960s and early 1970s, enjoyed pop-styled resurgence in late 1970s and early 1980s (1932–1991). *

Johnny Gimble John Paul Gimble (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015) was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 199 ...

, Western swing-styled musician and member of

Bob Wills James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although ...

' Texas Playboys (1926–2015).

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Terri Clark Terri Lynn Sauson, known professionally as Terri Clark, born August 5, 1968, is a Canadian country music singer who has had success in both Canada and the United States. Signed to Mercury Records in 1995, she released her self-titled debut that ...

, singer (born 1968) * Jackie Rae Greening, broadcaster

Major awards

Academy of Country Music

''( presented in Las Vegas on April 7, 2019)'' *

Entertainer of the Year ''Entertainer of the Year'' is the twenty-second solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on February 26, 1973, by MCA Records. This was Lynn's first album with MCA following Decca's consolidatio ...

–

* Male Vocalist of the Year –

Thomas Rhett Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the ...

* Female Vocalist of the Year –

Kacey Musgraves Kacey Lee Musgraves (born August 21, 1988) is an American country singer. She has won six Grammy Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, and three Academy of Country Music Awards. Musgraves self-released three solo albums and one as Tex ...

* Vocal Duo of the Year –

Dan + Shay Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa ** Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Iv ...

* Vocal Group of the Year –

Old Dominion Old Dominion most commonly refers to: *The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia **Colony of Virginia *Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia **Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represen ...

* New Male Vocalist of the Year –

Luke Combs Luke Albert Combs (; born March 2, 1990) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Born and raised in North Carolina, Combs began performing as a child, most notably performing at Carnegie Hall. After dropping out of college to pursue ...

* New Female Vocalist of the Year –

Ashley McBryde Ashley McBryde (born July 29, 1983) is an American country music singer–songwriter. Raised in Arkansas, she was drawn to various types of music from a young age. She also developed a passion for writing songs and later moved to Nashville, Tennes ...

* New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year –

Lanco Lanco may refer to: * Lanco, Chile, a city and commune * Lanco (band), an American country music band * Lanco, the stage name of Alberto Gallego, a Spanish musician and football manager * Lanco Infratech, an Indian business conglomerate * LATAM ...

* Songwriter of the Year –

Shane McAnally Shane McAnally (born October 12, 1974) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. Originally a solo artist for Curb Records in 1999, McAnally charted three singles on Hot Country Songs, including the No. 31 "Are Y ...

* Album of the Year – '' Golden Hour'' (

) * Single of the Year – "

Tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (''Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican state ...

" (

) * Song of the Year – "

" (

Nicolle Galyon Nicolle Anne Galyon (born July 22, 1984) is a singer, songwriter, producer, record label executive, & publishing executive from Sterling, Kansas. She has written songs for Lady A, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Dan + Shay, Florida Ge ...

, Jordan Reynolds

Dan Smyers Dan + Shay (the plus symbol substituting for an ampersand as an 'and' indicator) is an American country pop music duo composed of vocalists and songwriters Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney. They are signed to Warner Records Nashville and have releas ...

) * Vocal Event of the Year – " Burning Man" (

Dierks Bentley Frederick Dierks Bentley (; born November 20, 1975) is an American country music singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to Capitol Nashville and released his eponymous debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's ''Modern Day Drifter'', a ...

featuring

Brothers Osborne Brothers Osborne is an American country music duo consisting of brothers T.J. Osborne (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and John Osborne (lead guitar, background vocals). Born in Deale, Maryland, the duo signed a recording contract with EMI Records ...

* Video of the Year – "

Drunk Girl "Drunk Girl" is a song recorded by American country music singer Chris Janson. Written by him along with Tom Douglas and Scooter Carusoe, it is the second single from his album ''Everybody''. The song is about men showing respect to women, with a ...

" (

Chris Janson Christopher Pierre Janson (born April 2, 1986) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Janson has recorded three full-length albums, ''Buy Me a Boat'', ''Everybody'', and ''Real Friends'', through Warner Bros. Records Nashville, along ...

) * Artist of the Decade –

Jason Aldean Jason Aldean (born Jason Aldine Williams; February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released ten albums and 40 singles. His 2010 album, ''My Kind ...

ACM Honors
(presented August 22 in Nashville) *

Cliffie Stone Clifford Gilpin Snyder (March 1, 1917 – January 17, 1998), professionally Cliffie Stone, was an American country singer, musician, record producer, music publisher, and radio and TV personality who was pivotal in the development of Californi ...

Icon Award –

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as " neotraditional country"), as well as penning man ...

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled ...

Spirit Award –

Mae Boren Axton Mae Boren Axton (September 14, 1914 – April 9, 1997) was known in the music industry as the "Queen Mother of Nashville." She co-wrote the Elvis Presley hit single " Heartbreak Hotel" with Tommy Durden. She worked with Mel Tillis, Reba McEntir ...

Award – Mickey Christensen, Chris Christensen and Eddie Miller * Poet's Award –

Matraca Berg Matraca Maria Berg Hanna (; born February 3, 1964, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She has released five albums: three for RCA Records, one for Rising Tide Records and one for Dualtone Records, and h ...

and

Norro Wilson Norris Denton "Norro" Wilson (April 4, 1938 – June 8, 2017) was an American country music singer-songwriter, producer, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Wilson wrote or co-wrote numerous hit songs during more than 40 yea ...

* Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award –

Darius Rucker Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Ca ...

* Gene Weed Milestone Award –

Sam Hunt Sam Lowry Hunt (born December 8, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Hunt played American football, football in his high school and college years and once attempted to pursue a professional sports career befor ...

* Songwriter of the Year –

Rhett Akins Thomas Rhett Akins Sr. (born October 13, 1969) is an American singer and songwriter. Signed to Decca Records between 1994 and 1997, he released two albums for that label (1995's ''A Thousand Memories'' and 1996's '' Somebody New''), followed by ...

* Producer of the Year –

Dave Cobb Dave Cobb (born July 9, 1974) is an American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen and Rival Sons . Cobb ...

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...

International Award – Rob Potts

Americana Music Honors & Awards

(presented on September 12, 2018) * Album of the Year – ''

The Nashville Sound ''The Nashville Sound'' is the sixth studio album by Jason Isbell, and the third credited to "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit" (the first since ''Here We Rest'' in 2011). It was released on June 16, 2017. The album was produced by Dave Cobb, who h ...

'' (

Jason Isbell Michael Jason Isbell (; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell ...

) * Artist of the Year –

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

* Duo/Group of the Year –

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Michael Jason Isbell (; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell h ...

* Song of the Year – "

If We Were Vampires ''The Nashville Sound'' is the sixth studio album by Jason Isbell, and the third credited to "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit" (the first since '' Here We Rest'' in 2011). It was released on June 16, 2017. The album was produced by Dave Cobb, who ...

" (

) * Emerging Artist of the Year –

Tyler Childers Timothy Tyler Childers (born June 21, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His music is a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, and folk. He released his breakthrough album ''Purgatory'' in August 2017. Childers has released five st ...

* Instrumentalist of the Year –

Molly Tuttle Molly Rose Tuttle (born January 14, 1993) is an American vocalist, songwriter, banjo player and guitarist, recording artist and teacher in the bluegrass tradition, noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. She ha ...

* Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award –

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife. Although she is often classified as a country art ...

* Lifetime Achievement: Trailblazer –

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the son ...

* Lifetime Achievement: Performance –

Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...

* Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist –

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...

* Lifetime Achievement: Executive –

Judy Dlugacz Judy Dlugacz is an American entrepreneur. She was one of the founders of Olivia Records. Founded in 1973, it was the first woman-owned record company. She also founded her own travel company, Olivia Travel, in 1990 after not feeling comfortable ...

and

Cris Williamson Cris Williamson (born 1947) is an American feminist singer-songwriter and recording artist. She was a visible lesbian political activist, during an era when few who were unconnected to the lesbian community were aware of Gay and Lesbian issues ...

American Music Awards

''(presented in Los Angeles on October 9, 2018)'' * Favorite Male Artist –

Kane Brown Kane Allen Brown (born October 21, 1993) is an American singer. Brown first came to the attention of the public through social media. He released his first EP, titled '' Closer'', in June 2015, and followed it with a new single, "Used to Love Y ...

* Favorite Female Artist –

* Favorite Group or Duo –

Florida Georgia Line Florida Georgia Line is an American country music duo founded in 2010 by Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. Their 2012 debut single "Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was ...

* Favorite Album – ''

'' (

) * Favorite Song – "

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the bel ...

" (

)

ARIA Awards

''(presented in Sydney on November 28, 2018)'' *

Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music genre. Honors in ...

– ''

Campfire A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Cam ...

'' (Kasey Chambers) * ARIA Hall of Fame – Kasey Chambers

Billboard Music Awards

''(presented in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018)'' * Billboard Music Award for Top Country Artist, Top Country Artist – Chris Stapleton * Top Male Country Artist – Chris Stapleton * Top Female Country Artist – Maren Morris * Top Country Duo/Group –

* Billboard Music Award for Top Country Album, Top Country Album – ''From A Room: Volume 1'' (Chris Stapleton) * Billboard Music Award for Top Country Song, Top Country Song – "Body Like a Back Road" (Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt (musician), Sam Hunt,

, Josh Osborne) * Top Country Tour – Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day Tour (

)

CMT Awards

''(presented on June 7, 2018, in Nashville)'' * Video of the Year – "I'll Name the Dogs" (Blake Shelton) * Male Video of the Year – "I'll Name the Dogs" (Blake Shelton) * Female Video of the Year – "The Champion (song), The Champion" (

ft. Ludacris) * Duo Video of the Year – "

" (

) * Group Video of the Year – "When Someone Stops Loving You" (Little Big Town) * Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Every Little Thing (Carly Pearce song), Every Little Thing" (Carly Pearce) * Collaborative Video of the Year – "What Ifs" (

ft. Lauren Alaina) * CMT Performance of the Year – "Everybody (Backstreet's Back), Everybody" (Backstreet Boys and

) from CMT Crossroads CMT Artists of the Year
''(presented on October 17, 2019, in Nashville)'' *Kelsea Ballerini *Karen Fairchild *Miranda Lambert *Maren Morris *Kimberley Schlapman *Hillary Scott *

*Artist of a Lifetime:

Country Music Association Awards

''(presented on November 15, 2018, in Nashville)'' * Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, Entertainer of the Year –

* Country Music Association Award for Male Vocalist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year – Chris Stapleton * Country Music Association Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year –

* New Artist of the Year –

* Vocal Duo of the Year –

* Vocal Group of the Year –

* Musician of the Year – Mac McAnally * Single of the Year – "Broken Halos" (Chris Stapleton) * Song of the Year – "Broken Halos" (Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton) * Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year, Album of the Year – '' Golden Hour'' (

) * Musical Event of the Year – "Everything's Gonna Be Alright (David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney song), Everything's Gonna Be Alright (David Lee Murphy and

) * Music Video of the Year – "Marry Me (Thomas Rhett song), Marry Me" (

) * International Artist Achievement Award – Little Big Town * Global Artist Achievement Award – Dean Brody (Canada)

Grammy Awards

''(presented in Los Angeles on February 10, 2019)'' * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Album of the Year – '' Golden Hour'' (

) * Best Country Solo Performance – "Butterflies (Kacey Musgraves song), Butterflies" (

) * Best Country Duo/Group Performance – "

" (

) * Best Country Song – "Space Cowboy (Kacey Musgraves song), Space Cowboy" (Luke Laird,

) * Best Country Album – '' Golden Hour'' (

) * Best Bluegrass Album – ''The Travelin' McCourys'' (The Travelin' McCourys) * Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, Best Americana Album – ''By the Way, I Forgive You'' (Brandi Carlile) * Best American Roots Performance – "The Joke (Brandi Carlile song), The Joke" (Brandi Carlile) * Best American Roots Song – "The Joke (Brandi Carlile song), The Joke" (Brandi Carlile,

, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth) * Best Roots Gospel Album – ''Unexpected (Jason Crabb album), Unexpected'' (Jason Crabb)

International Bluegrass Music Association Awards

''(presented on September 27, 2018)'' * Entertainer of the Year – Balsam Range * Male Vocalist of the Year – Buddy Melton * Female Vocalist of the Year – Brooke Aldridge * Vocal Group of the Year – Doyle Lawson, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver * Instrumental Group of the Year – The Travelin' McCourys * Emerging Artist of the Year – The Po' Ramblin' Boys * Guitar Player of the Year –

* Banjo Player of the Year – Ned Luberecki * Mandolin Player of the Year – Sierra Hull * Fiddle Player of the Year – Michael Cleveland * Bass Player of the Year – Tim Surrett * Dobro Player of the Year – Justin Moses * Album of the Year – ''Rivers & Roads'' (The Special Consensus) * Song of the Year – "If I'd Have Wrote That Song" (Larry Cordle, Larry Shell, James Silvers) * Recorded Event of the Year – "Swept Away" (Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull and

) * Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year – "Squirrel Hunters" (The Special Consensus with John Hartford, Rachel Baiman, Christian Sedelmyer and Alison Brown) * Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year – "Speakin' To That Mountain" (Becky Buller)

Juno Awards

''(presented in London, Ontario, London on March 16–17, 2019)'' * Juno Award for Country Album of the Year, Country Album of the Year – ''We Were That Song (song), We Were That Song'' (Brett Kissel) * Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, Contemporary Roots Album of the Year – ''Both Ways'' (Donovan Woods (musician), Donovan Woods) * Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year, Traditional Roots Album of the Year – ''Sweet Old Religion'' (Pharis and Jason Romero) * Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, Breakthrough Group of the Year – The Washboard Union * Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year, Recording Engineer of the Year – Shawn Everett ('' Golden Hour'')

References

{{List of years in country music 2018 in music, Country Country music by year Culture-related timelines by year

Events

Top hits of the year

Singles released by American and Australian artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Notes

Top new album releases

Other top albums

Deaths

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Hall of Fame

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Major awards

Academy of Country Music

Americana Music Honors & Awards

American Music Awards

ARIA Awards

Billboard Music Awards

CMT Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Grammy Awards

International Bluegrass Music Association Awards

Juno Awards

See also

References