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, ...

that took place in the year 2010.

Events

* January 31 –

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

becomes the youngest person to win the

Grammy Award 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 ...

for

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

for her sophomore country album ''

Fearless Fearless or The Fearless may refer to: Psychology * Lack of fear * Courage or bravery Film, television and audio Film * ''Fearless'' (1978 film), an Italian film directed by Stelvio Massi * ''Fearless'' (1993 film), an American drama directed ...

'' (2008). ''Fearless'' additionally wins the award for

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 ...

, while Swift's "

White Horse A white horse is born predominantly white and stays white throughout its life. A white horse has mostly pink skin under its hair coat, and may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant ...

" is awarded

Best Female Country Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1965, to Dottie West. The award has had several minor name changes: *From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Female *In 1 ...

and

Best Country Song The Grammy Award for Best Country Song (sometimes known as the Country Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the songwriter(s) of the song, not to the artist, except if the artist is also the songwriter. There ha ...

. * February 1 –

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as " You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My M ...

marks 50 years since she signed her first recording contract. * February 6 –

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

announces that she will reunite with her mother,

Naomi Judd Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd; January 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022) was an American singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna (born Christina Claire) formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a very successful country ...

, to tour and record a studio album for the final time as

The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. The duo signed to RCA Nashville in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds were one of the most success ...

by the end of 2010. * February 13 – Two men in a small pickup truck die from injuries they sustained after colliding with one of

Trace Adkins Trace may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Trace'' (Son Volt album), 1995 * ''Trace'' (Died Pretty album), 1993 * Trace (band), a Dutch progressive rock band * ''The Trace'' (album) Other uses in arts and entertainment * ''Trace'' ...

's tour buses. The truck was believed to have crossed the "no passing" line in the center of the road which resulted in the crash. Several members of Adkins' band were aboard the

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

, but did not suffer any major injuries. Adkins himself was not on board the bus at the time. * April 14 –

Disney Music Group Disney Music Group (DMG) is the music recording arm of Disney Platform Distribution, a division of The Walt Disney Company. It is located at the studio's headquarters in Burbank, California. The division's subsidiaries consist of two owned record ...

announces the closure of

Lyric Street Records Lyric Street Records was an American country music record label. It was owned by the Disney Music Group and founded in 1997 by Randy Goodman. The label had its first successes in 1998 with singles by Lari White and Aaron Tippin, both formerly of ...

. The label's flagship act,

Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousi ...

, along with

Bucky Covington William Joel "Bucky" Covington III (born November 8, 1977) is an American country music singer. He placed eighth on the 5th season of the Fox Network's talent competition series ''American Idol''. In December 2006, he signed a recording contrac ...

Kevin Fowler Kevin Fowler (born May 11, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter. He has released five studio albums, and has charted four singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including the top 40 hit "Pound Sign (#?*!)". In addition, he wr ...

, and

Tyler Dickerson Tyler Dickerson (born 1993 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi) is an American country music artist signed to Lyric Street Records. He released his debut single, "Tell Your Sister I'm Single," to radio in early 2010. Biography Tyler Dickerson was born ...

follow them within the label's parent company. Three other artists on the roster –

Sarah Buxton Sarah Jane Buxton (born July 3, 1980) is an American country music singer, formerly signed to the independent Lyric Street Records. Between 2006 and 2008, she issued three singles from an extended play titled '' Almost My Record'', in addition t ...

, Love and Theft and The Parks – are released from the label. * April 18 –

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 ''Bill ...

becomes the first woman in history to win the Entertainer of the Year award at the

Academy of Country Music Awards The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy ...

twice. Underwood previously won the award at the 2009 ceremony. * May 3 –

Chely Wright Chely Wright (born Richell Rene Wright; October 25, 1970) is an American Activism, activist, author and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the numbe ...

becomes the first major country artist to come out as homosexual. * May 4 –

Flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

on the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, causes damage to the

Grand Ole Opry House The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

and

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, formerly known as Opryland Hotel, is a hotel and convention center located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (formerly known as Gaylord Entertainment Company), and o ...

, with several feet of water. Grand Ole Opry performances are moved to the

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

, War Memorial Auditorium and the Two Rivers Baptist Church; all of which were unaffected by the floods. The common areas of the

Gaylord Opryland Hotel Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, formerly known as Opryland Hotel, is a hotel and convention center located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (formerly known as Gaylord Entertainment Company), and o ...

were destroyed, and parts of the hotel are under 10 feet of water. * May 11 –

Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...

and

Miranda Lambert Miranda Leigh Lambert (born November 10, 1983) is an American country singer and guitarist. Born in Longview, Texas, she started out in early 2001 when she released her self-titled debut album independently. In 2003, she finished in third place o ...

become engaged after five years of dating. * May 26 – Country music legend

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

cuts his "trademark, waist-length braids." * May 29 –

The Lost Trailers The Lost Trailers are an American country music band. Established in 2000, the band originally comprised Ryder Lee (lead vocals, keyboards), Manny Medina (guitar), Andrew Nielson (bass guitar), Stokes Nielson (vocals, lead guitar), and Jeff Potter ...

announce that they will disband in September after the final date of their 2010 concert tour. * June 23 –

Kellie Pickler Kellie Dawn Pickler (born June 28, 1986) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television personality. Pickler gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of ''American Idol'' and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed ...

and songwriter Kyle Jacobs become engaged after two and a half years of dating. * July 10 –

and Ottawa Senators player Mike Fisher marry in a private ceremony in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. * October 26 –

Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...

and wife Tish file for divorce in Nashville. According to ''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'' magazine, the couple filed for divorce documents on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, citing irreconcilable differences Less than a year later, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus announces on '' The View'' that he has dropped the divorce. * October 30 –

Randy Travis Randy Bruce Traywick (born May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recor ...

and wife Elizabeth file for divorce. According to the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

, Randy filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in Albuquerque, N.M. on Thursday, October 28, citing that a "state of incompatibility exists between the parties". * November 11 – The ''

Nashville Scene ''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...

'' publishes a report from representatives of British progressive rock band

The Alan Parsons Project The Alan Parsons Project was a British rock band active between 1975 and 1990, whose core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. They were accompanie ...

, alleging that the chorus of

Lady Antebellum Lady A (formerly known as Lady Antebellum) is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar) ...

's " Need You Now" – which during 2010 became a major

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

smash hit in the U.S. and worldwide – has the same melody as the chorus of Parsons' " Eye In The Sky", a 1982 hit single that peaked at #3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. * December 5 – The

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

honors

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 af ...

for his lifetime contributions to the arts. * December – The song " Love Like Crazy" by

Lee Brice Kenneth Mobley Brice Jr. (born June 10, 1979), known professionally as Lee Brice, is an American country music singer and songwriter, signed to Curb Records. Brice has released five albums with the label: '' Love Like Crazy'', '' Hard to Love'', ...

, which peaked at No. 3 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart in September, is named the No. 1 country song of 2010, and in doing so becomes the first non-No. 1 song in the chart's 66-year history to earn such an honor. Earlier in the year, "Love Like Crazy" broke the chart's longevity record, spending 55 weeks on the chart and surpassing (by one week) a 62-year-old record, established by

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

's " Bouquet of Roses."

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the

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'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

charts in 2010:

Top new album releases

The following albums placed within the Top 50 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 a ...

charts in 2010:

Other top albums

Deaths

* January 16 – Carl Smith, 82, honky tonk-styled star of the 1950s through 1970s. * January 27 –

Shirley Collie Nelson Shirley Collie Nelson (born Shirley Angelina Simpson, March 16, 1931 – January 27, 2010) was an American country music and rockabilly singer, yodeler, guitarist and songwriter. From 1963 to 1971, she was the second wife of country star Willie ...

, 78, rockabilly artist, second wife of

. * May 26 –

Judy Lynn Judy Lynn Kelly (born Judy Lynn Voiten; April 16, 1936 – May 26, 2010), better known by her stage name Judy Lynn, was an American country music singer and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Idaho in 1955. Life and career Lynn was born in Boise, ...

, 74,

Nashville Sound The Nashville Sound originated during the mid-1950s as a subgenre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of the rough honky tonk music, which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s, with "smooth strings and choruses", "sophist ...

artist of the 1960s and former beauty pageant queen. * June 13 –

Jimmy Dean Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He became ...

, 81, popular country music singer, actor and entrepreneur, best known for his 1961 hit "

Big Bad John "Big Bad John" is a country song originally performed by Jimmy Dean, who wrote and composed it. It was released in September 1961 and by the beginning of November it had gone to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It won Dean the 1962 Gra ...

" and his eponymously named sausage company. * July 15 –

Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy ...

, 74, songwriter behind hits such as "

I Fall to Pieces "I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline. Released as a single in 1961 via Decca Records, it topped the country charts, crossed over onto the pop charts and became among C ...

" and " The Chair" among others. * July 17 –

Fred Carter, Jr. Fred F. Carter Jr. (December 31, 1933 – July 17, 2010) was an American guitarist, singer, producer and composer. Early career Carter was raised in the delta country in Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, Un ...

, 76, session guitarist and father of country artist

Deana Carter Deana Kay Carter (born January 4, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter who broke through in 1996 with the release of her debut album ''Did I Shave My Legs for This?'', which was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States ...

. * July 22 – Margaret Ann Rich, 76, songwriter, wife of the late singer-songwriter

Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. His eclectic style of music was often difficult to classify, encompassing the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country music, country, sou ...

* July 26 –

Ben Keith Bennett Keith Schaeufele (March 6, 1937 – July 26, 2010), better known by his stage name Ben Keith, was an American musician and record producer. Known primarily for his work as a pedal steel guitarist with Neil Young, Keith was a fixture of ...

, 73, session pedal steel guitarist, record producer * July 31 –

George Richey George Richey (born George Baker Richardson; November 30, 1935 – July 31, 2010) was an American songwriter and record producer. He was born in Arkansas, but raised in Malden, Missouri. Career Richey was a mainstay of the Nashville country music ...

, 74, songwriter and record producer; widower of

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

. (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) * August 23 – Bill Phillips, 74, singer and songwriter best known for his 1966 country hit, "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", written by

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 ...

. * October 24 –

Linda Hargrove Linda Hargrove (married name Bartholomew, born Tallahassee, Florida February 3, 1949 – October 24, 2010, Tallahassee, Florida) was an American country songwriter and musician. She wrote many country music hits for a variety of artists and h ...

, 61, singer and songwriter, wrote "

Just Get Up and Close the Door "'Just Get Up and Close the Door" is a song written by Linda Hargrove, and recorded by Johnny Rodriguez Juan Raoul Davis "Johnny" Rodriguez (born December 10, 1951) is an American country music singer. He is a Tejano and Texas country music sin ...

" by

Johnny Rodriguez Juan Raoul Davis "Johnny" Rodriguez (born December 10, 1951) is an American country music singer. He is a Tejano and Texas country music singer, infusing his music with Latin sounds, and even singing verses of songs in Spanish. In the 1970s and ...

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Inductees

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kno ...

* Louise Scruggs

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

(August 10, 1928 - June 13, 2010) *

Ferlin Husky Ferlin Eugene Husky (December 3, 1925 – March 17, 2011) was an early American country music singer who was equally adept at the genres of traditional honky-tonk, ballads, spoken recitations, and rockabilly pop tunes. He had two dozen top-20 hit ...

(December 3, 1925 - March 17, 2011) *

Billy Sherrill Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gle ...

(November 5, 1936 - August 4, 2015) *

Don Williams Donald Ray Williams (May 27, 1939 – September 8, 2017) was an American country singer, songwriter, and 2010 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing seventeen number ...

(May 27, 1939 - September 8, 2017)

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Donna & LeRoy Anderson *

Willie P. Bennett William Patrick "Willie P." Bennett (26 October 1951 – 15 February 2008) was a Canadian folk music, folk-music singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and mandolinist. Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, and wrote and recorded ...

Marie Bottrell Marie Diane Bottrell (born 1961) is a Canadian country music singer and songwriter. Bottrell released many singles which appeared on Canadian country music charts, and has received multiple Country Female Vocalist of the Year nominations. Early ...

Eddie Eastman Eddie Eastman (born July 15, 1949 in Terra Nova, Newfoundland and Labrador) is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter. Twenty-five of Eastman's singles made the ''RPM'' Country Tracks charts, including five which reached the Top Ten. Eastman ...

Don Harron Donald Hugh Harron, (September 19, 1924 – January 17, 2015) was a Canadian comedian, actor, director, journalist, author, playwright, and composer. Harron is best remembered by American audiences as a member of the cast of the long-running co ...

* Fred McKenna *

Wayne Rostad Wayne Victor Rostad, CM (born 28 October 1947 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian musician and television presenter. Career In 1969, he became a radio host for CJET in Smiths Falls. After this, he worked at CKWS-TV in Kingston, CKBY radio in ...

Ray St. Germain Ray St. Germain Order of Manitoba, OM (born 1940) is a Canadian musician, author, and radio show host. He was the 2006 federal Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal candidate for the Winnipeg Centre constituency and the presenter for the 1969 Canadian ...

Joyce Smith Joyce Esther Smith (née Byatt, born 26 October 1937) is a British former long-distance runner. She broke the world record in the 3000 metres in 1971 and is a three-time medallist at the International/World Cross Country Championships, includ ...

Tom Tompkins Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

* Hal & Ginger Willis

Major awards

Academy of Country Music

''(presented April 3, 2011 in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

)'' *Entertainer of the Year –

*Top Male Vocalist –

Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...

*Top Female Vocalist –

*Top Vocal Group –

*Top Vocal Duo –

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 (vo ...

*Top New Solo Artist –

Eric Church Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's '' Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''Billboar ...

*Top New Duo/Group –

The Band Perry The Band Perry are an American band composed of siblings Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar), Reid Perry (bass guitar, background vocals), and Neil Perry (mandolin, bouzouki, background vocals). They signed to Republic Nashville in August 2009 ...

*Top New Artist – The Band Perry *Album of the Year – '' Need You Now'', Lady Antebellum *Single Record of the Year – "

The House That Built Me "The House That Built Me" is a song written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. Blake Shelton was originally set to record the song, but when Lambert heard it, she emotionally reacted ...

", Miranda Lambert *Song of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert *Video of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert *Vocal Event of the Year – "

As She's Walking Away "As She's Walking Away" is a song by American country music group Zac Brown Band. Written by lead singer Zac Brown, along with Wyatt Durrette (songwriter), Wyatt Durrette, it features guest vocals from veteran country singer Alan Jackson. The song ...

Zac Brown Band Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini ( fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, guitar, baritone guitar, banjo, ukulel ...

and

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 many o ...

Americana Music Honors & Awards

*Album of the Year – '' The List'' (

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 ...

) *Artist of the Year –

Ryan Bingham George Ryan Bingham (born March 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor whose music spans multiple genres. He is currently based in Los Angeles. As of 2019, Bingham has released six studio albums and one live album, t ...

*Duo/Group of the Year –

The Avett Brothers The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett ( banjo, lead vocals, guitar, piano, kick-drum) and Seth Avett (guitar, lead vocals, piano, hi-hat) along with Bob ...

*Song of the Year – "

The Weary Kind "The Weary Kind" (full title "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)") is a country song written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett for the film ''Crazy Heart'', a 2009 film directed by Scott Cooper starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal. C ...

" (

and

T Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in film ...

) *Emerging Artist of the Year –

Hayes Carll Joshua Hayes Carll (born January 9, 1976), known professionally as Hayes Carll, is a singer-songwriter. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, his style of roots-oriented songwriting has been noted for its plainspoken poetry and sarcastic humor. C ...

*Instrumentalist of the Year –

Buddy Miller Steven Paul "Buddy" Miller (born September 6, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. Miller is married to and has recorded with singer-songwriter Julie Miller. ...

*Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award –

Mary Chapin Carpenter Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

*Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting –

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

*Lifetime Achievement: Performance –

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

*Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist –

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage band cu ...

*Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Luke Lewis *Lifetime Achievement: Producer/Engineer – Brian Ahern

American Country Awards

''(presented December 6 in

)'' *Artist of the Year –

*Female Artist of the Year – Carrie Underwood *Male Artist of the Year –

*Group/Duo of the Year –

*Touring Package of the Year – "

Play On Tour The Play On Tour was the third headlining tour by American country music singer Carrie Underwood, in support of her third studio album ''Play On (Carrie Underwood album), Play On''. The first legs which contains dates only in North America, were ...

", Carrie Underwood *Album of the Year – '' Play On'', Carrie Underwood *Breakthrough Artist of the Year –

Easton Corbin Dan Easton Corbin (born April 12, 1982) is an American country music singer. He signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2009 and released his self-titled debut album in March 2010, featuring the two number-one hits "A Little More Country Than That ...

*Single of the Year – " Need You Now", Lady Antebellum *Female Single of the Year – "

Cowboy Casanova "Cowboy Casanova" is a song by American singer Carrie Underwood. It was written by Underwood, Mike Elizondo, Brett James. It was released on September 14, 2009, by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, '' Play On''. The ...

", Carrie Underwood *Male Single of the Year – "

Why Don't We Just Dance "Why Don't We Just Dance" is a song written by Jim Beavers, Jonathan Singleton, and Darrell Brown, and recorded by American country music artist Josh Turner. It was released in August 2009 as the lead-off single from his album '' Haywire'', which ...

Josh Turner Joshua Otis Turner (born November 20, 1977) is an American country and gospel singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to MCA Nashville Records. That same year, his debut album's title track, "Long Black Train", was his breakthrough single r ...

*Duo/Group Single of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum *Breakthrough Single of the Year – "

A Little More Country Than That "A Little More Country Than That" is a song written by Joey + Rory's Rory Feek, Wynn Varble, and Don Poythress and recorded by American country music artist Easton Corbin. It was released in August 2009 as Corbin's debut single and the first from ...

", Easton Corbin *Music Video of the Year – "

Hillbilly Bone ''Hillbilly Bone'' is the first extended play, and seventh studio release overall, by American country music singer/songwriter Blake Shelton. It was released on March 2, 2010 (see 2010 in country music) via Warner Music Group Nashville, his firs ...

feat.

*Female Music Video of the Year – "Cowboy Casanova", Carrie Underwood *Male Music Video of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone", Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins *Duo/Group Music Video of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum *Breakthrough Music Video of the Year – "A Little More Country Than That", Easton Corbin

ARIA Awards

''(presented in Sydney on November 7, 2010)'' *

– ''

Wrapped Up Good ''Wrapped Up Good'' is the second studio album by Australian country band The McClymonts released in Australia on 26 January 2010 by Universal Records. The album entered the Australian music chart at Number 2 and remained on the chart for 14 wee ...

'' (

The McClymonts The McClymonts are an Australian country music trio comprising sisters Brooke McClymont (born 1981), Samantha McClymont (born 1986) and Mollie McClymont (born 1987), originally from Grafton, New South Wales. They have released one eponymous EP an ...

) *

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

– John Williamson

Canadian Country Music Association

''(presented September 12 in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

)'' *Fans' Choice Award –

Johnny Reid John Kirkland Reid (born August 21, 1974) is a Scottish-Canadian country music artist. Reid moved to Canada in July 1988 when he was 13. His father, a diesel mechanic, wanted to give Reid and his brother opportunities he did not think they would ...

*Male Artist of the Year –

Gord Bamford Gord Bamford (born April 17, 1976) is an Australian-Canadian country music singer. He has released ten studio albums. Alberta-raised Bamford stands as one of the most decorated artists in Canadian country music with 26 Canadian Country Music Ass ...

*Female Artist of the Year –

Victoria Banks Victoria Wenonah Banks (born February 8, 1973) is a Nashville-based Canadian singer and songwriter. Her self-produced debut CD ''When You Can Fly'' was released on the On Ramp/ EMI Canada label in April 2009. The CD earned Banks a 2010 Canadian ...

*Group or Duo of the Year –

Doc Walker Doc Walker is a country music group from Westbourne, Manitoba, Canada. They have won Canadian Country Music Awards and had radio hits with the songs "I Am Ready" and "The Show is Free" from the 2003 album ''Everyone Aboard''. In 2001 they releas ...

*Songwriter(s) of the Year – "Dance With Me", written by Johnny Reid, Victoria Banks, and Tia Sillers *Single of the Year – "Dance With Me", Johnny Reid *Album of the Year – ''

Day Job Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any other ...

'', Gord Bamford *Top Selling Album – ''

'',

*Top Selling Canadian Album – '' Dance with Me'', Johnny Reid *CMT Video of the Year – "Day Job", Gord Bamford *Rising Star Award –

One More Girl One More Girl is a Canadian country music duo composed of actress-singers Carly and Britt McKillip, who are sisters. The duo signed to EMI Canada in 2008 and released their debut album, '' Big Sky'', in 2009. In 2010, they won the Rising Star aw ...

*Roots Artist or Group of the Year –

Corb Lund Corb Lund is a Canadian country and western singer-songwriter from Taber, Alberta, Canada. He has released eleven albums, three of which are certified gold. Lund tours regularly in Canada, the United States and Australia, and has received several ...

Country Music Association

''(presented November 10 in

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 the ...

) *Single of the Year – " Need You Now",

*Song of the Year – "

", Tom Douglas and

Allen Shamblin Allen Shamblin is a country music songwriter who was born in Tennessee, and was brought up in Huffman, Texas. After graduating from Sam Houston State University he worked in Austin as a real estate appraiser. In 1987, he quit his job and moved ...

*Vocal Group of the Year – Lady Antebellum *New Artist of the Year –

*Album of the Year – ''

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

'',

*Musician of the Year –

Mac McAnally Lyman Corbitt McAnally Jr. (; born July 15, 1957), known professionally as Mac McAnally, is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. ...

*Vocal Duo of the Year –

*Music Video of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert *Male Vocalist of the Year –

*Female Vocalist of the Year – Miranda Lambert *Musical Event of the Year – "

", Blake Shelton and

*Entertainer of the Year –

CMT Music Awards

''(presented June 9 in

)'' *Video of the Year – "

*Male Video of the Year – "

'Til Summer Comes Around "Til Summer Comes Around" is a song co-written and recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released in November 2009 as the fourth single from his 2009 album '' Defying Gravity''. The song peaked at number 3 on the US ''Bill ...

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 Award ...

*Female Video of the Year – "

White Liar "White Liar" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. It was released in August 2009 as the second single from her album ''Revolution''. Lambert performed "White Liar" on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' on ...

*Group Video of the Year – " Need You Now",

*Duo Video of the Year – "

Indian Summer An Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Several sources describe a true Indian summer as not occurring until after the first frost, or more s ...

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were solo ...

*USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year – "

Do I "Do I" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released in May 2009 as the lead-off single from his album '' Doin' My Thing''. Bryan co-wrote the song with Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of the group ...

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

*Collaborative Video of the Year – "

and

*Performance of the Year – "

Temporary Home "Temporary Home" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Carrie Underwood. It was released in December 2009 as the second official single from her third studio album, '' Play On''. Before being released as a single, the ...

", Carrie Underwood, from ''CMT Invitation Only'' *Video Director of the Year –

Shaun Silva Shaun Silva is a music video director who works primarily in the country music field. He has directed a number of music videos for many country music artists, including many of Kenny Chesney's music videos. His other clients include Jason Aldean, ...

*Nationwide Is On Your Side Award – Chris Young CMT Artists of the Year
''(presented December 1 in Nashville)'' *

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

Grammy Awards

''(presented February 13, 2011)'' *Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "

*Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "

*Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals – " Need You Now",

*Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "

and

*Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Hummingbyrd",

Marty Stuart John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before beginning work as a ...

*Best Country Song – "Need You Now", Dave Haywood,

Josh Kear Josh Kear is a Nashville-based songwriter signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In 2007, he cowrote Carrie Underwood’s hit "Before He Cheats" with Chris Tompkins. The song spent five weeks at the top of the charts. His song "Drinking Class", pe ...

Charles Kelley Charles Burgess Kelley (born September 11, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and lead singer and founding member of the country music trio Lady A, which was formed in 2006 and are signed to Big Machine Records. Early life and career Kelle ...

and

Hillary Scott Hillary Dawn Scott-Tyrrell (born April 1, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter. She is the co-lead singer of Lady A, previously known as Lady Antebellum, a country music group that was formed in 2006, and is signed to Big Machine Records. ...

*Best Country Album – '' Need You Now'', Lady Antebellum *Best Bluegrass Album – ''

Mountain Soul II ''Mountain Soul II'' is the sixteenth and most recent studio album by American country music singer Patty Loveless. The album was released on September 29, 2009. It is a follow-up to her previous album, ''Mountain Soul'', released in 2001. Four o ...

'',

Patty Loveless Patty Loveless (born Patricia Lee Ramey, January 4, 1957) is an American country music singer. She began performing in her teenaged years before signing her first recording contract with MCA Records' Nashville division in 1985. While her first ...

Juno Awards

''(presented March 27, 2011 in Toronto)'' *Country Album of the Year – '' A Place Called Love'',