Grammy Award for Best Country Album explained

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,^[1] to recording artists for quality albums in the country music genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".^[2]

The award was first presented under the name of Best Country & Western Album in 1966 to Roger Miller for Dang Me/Chug-A-Lug and was discontinued the following year. In 1995 the category was revived and received its current denomination of Best Country Album. According to the category description guide for the 66th Grammy Awards (2024), the award is presented to vocal or instrumental country albums containing at least 51% playing time of new recordings, and the Grammy is awarded to the artist and producer, and to the engineer/mixer of greater than 50% playing time of the album.^[3] (The list of nominees only mentions Artists).

The Dixie Chicks are the most awarded performers in this category with four wins, followed by Chris Stapleton who has three wins. Two-time award winners include Roger Miller, Lady Antebellum, Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert. Canadian singer Shania Twain is the only non-American winner in this category, to date. Trisha Yearwood holds the record for most nominations, with eight. Yearwood also holds the record for most nominations without a win. The current holder of the award is Lainey Wilson, who won at the 66th Grammy Awards with her sophomore studio album Bell Bottom Country.

Recipients

Year	Recipient(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1965	Roger Miller	Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug		[4]
1966	Roger Miller	The Return of Roger Miller		[5]
1995	Mary Chapin Carpenter	Stones in the Road		[6]
1996	Shania Twain	The Woman in Me		[7]
1997	Lyle Lovett	The Road to Ensenada		[8]
1998	Johnny Cash	Unchained		[9]
1999	Dixie Chicks	Wide Open Spaces		[10]
2000	Dixie Chicks	Fly		[11]
2001	Faith Hill	Breathe		[12]
2002	Various artists Bonnie Garner, Luke Lewis and Mary Martin, producers	Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute		[13]
2003	Dixie Chicks	Home		[14]
2004	Various artists Carl Jackson, producer			[15]
2005	Loretta Lynn	Van Lear Rose		[16]
2006	Alison Krauss & Union Station	Lonely Runs Both Ways		[17]
2007	Dixie Chicks	Taking the Long Way		[18]
2008	Vince Gill	These Days		[19]
2009	George Strait	Troubadour		[20]
2010	Taylor Swift	Fearless		[21]
2011	Lady Antebellum	Need You Now		[22]
2012	Lady Antebellum	Own the Night		[23]
2013	Zac Brown Band	Uncaged		[24]
2014	Kacey Musgraves	Same Trailer Different Park		[25]
2015	Miranda Lambert	Platinum		[26]
2016	Chris Stapleton	Traveller		[27]
2017	Sturgill Simpson	A Sailor's Guide to Earth		[28]
2018	Chris Stapleton			[29]
2019	Kacey Musgraves	Golden Hour		[30]
2020	Tanya Tucker	While I'm Livin'		[31]
2021	Miranda Lambert	Wildcard		[32]
2022	Chris Stapleton	Starting Over		[33]
2023		A Beautiful Time		[34]
2024	Lainey Wilson	Bell Bottom Country		[35]
2025	TBA	TBA		[36]

Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

Artists with multiple wins

4 wins

• The Chicks

3 wins

• Chris Stapleton

2 wins

• Lady Antebellum
• Miranda Lambert
• Kacey Musgraves
• Roger Miller

Artists with multiple nominations

8 nominations

• Trisha Yearwood

7 nominations

• Miranda Lambert (1 with Pistol Annies)

6 nominations

• Willie Nelson

5 nominations

• Chris Stapleton
• George Strait

4 nominations

• The Chicks
• Little Big Town
• Vince Gill
• Faith Hill
• Alan Jackson
  • Tim McGraw Kacey Musgraves

3 nominations

• Dierks Bentley
• Zac Brown Band
• Eric Church
• Brandy Clark
• Jamey Johnson
• Lady Antebellum
• Patty Loveless
• Ashley McBryde
• Taylor Swift
• Shania Twain
• Keith Urban
• Lee Ann Womack
• Dwight Yoakam

2 nominations

• Jason Aldean
• Asleep at the Wheel
• Chet Atkins
• Brothers Osborne
• Johnny Cash
• Alison Krauss
• Lyle Lovett
• Loretta Lynn
• Reba McEntire
• Roger Miller
• Maren Morris
• Brad Paisley
• Dolly Parton
• Jim Reeves
• Thomas Rhett
• Blake Shelton
• Sturgill Simpson
• Hank Williams Jr.
• Gretchen Wilson
• Lainey Wilson
• Ashley Monroe (1 with Pistol Annies)

See also

• Grammy Award for Album of the Year

References

General

• Web site: Past Winners Search. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. March 4, 2011. Note: User must select the "Country" category as the genre under the search feature.
• Web site: Grammy Awards: Best Country Album. Rock on the Net. July 12, 2010.

Specific

Notes and References

1. News: Grammy Awards at a Glance. Los Angeles Times. April 24, 2010.
2. Web site: Overview. April 24, 2010. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110103173212/http://www2.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/. January 3, 2011. mdy-all.
3. Web site: 12 November 2024 . 66th Grammy Rules and Guidelines Book . www.grammy.com . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112221428/https://naras.a.bigcontent.io/v1/static/66_Rulebook_9.20 . dead .
4. Web site: 1964 Grammy Awards. December 9, 2011.
5. Web site: 1965 Grammy Awards. December 9, 2011.
6. News: The 37th Grammy Nominations. January 6, 1995. July 12, 2010. Los Angeles Times. 2.
7. News: List of Grammy nominees. January 4, 1996. July 12, 2010. CNN.
8. News: Babyface is up for 12 Grammy awards. January 8, 1997. July 12, 2010. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Mary. Campbell. July 12, 2012. https://archive.today/20120712192922/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HKQaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ci4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4773,8816303&dq. dead.
9. Web site: 40th Annual Grammy Award Nominations . December 9, 2011 . Digital Hit . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110807061111/http://www.digitalhit.com/grammy/40/nominees.shtml . August 7, 2011 .
10. Web site: 1999 Grammy Nominees . November 27, 1998 . July 12, 2010 . NME . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121011030229/http://www.nme.com/news/lauryn-hill/772 . October 11, 2012 . mdy-all .
11. News: 42nd Annual Grammy Awards nominations . CNN . July 12, 2010 . January 4, 2000 . dead . https://archive.today/20120722190443/http://transcripts.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/01/04/grammy.noms.01/list.html . July 22, 2012 . mdy-all .
12. News: 43rd Grammy Awards . July 12, 2010 . CNN . February 21, 2001 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081106040823/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/21/grammy.winners/ . November 6, 2008 . mdy-all .
13. News: Complete List Of Grammy Nominees. January 4, 2002. July 12, 2010. CBS News.
14. Web site: 45 Grammy Nom List . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426041954/http://www.mlscmusic.com/Content/Charts%20Awards/45Grammy%20Nom%20List.pdf . April 26, 2012 . mdy-all .
15. News: They're All Contenders. December 5, 2003. July 12, 2010. The New York Times.
16. News: Grammy Award nominees in top categories. February 7, 2005. July 12, 2010. Gannett Company. USA Today.
17. News: The Complete List of Grammy Nominations. July 12, 2010. December 8, 2005. 1. The New York Times.
18. Web site: 49th Annual Grammy Awards Winners List . http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20061220160454/http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx . dead . December 20, 2006 . National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences . July 12, 2010 .
19. Web site: Grammy 2008 Winners List. https://web.archive.org/web/20081216120238/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1581272/20080210/story.jhtml. dead. December 16, 2008. February 10, 2008. MTV. July 12, 2010.
20. Web site: Grammy 2009 Winners List. https://web.archive.org/web/20090215063113/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604545/20090208/story.jhtml. dead. February 15, 2009. February 8, 2009. MTV. July 12, 2010.
21. Web site: The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List . National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences . July 12, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100618185140/http://www2.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/52nd_show/list.aspx . June 18, 2010 . mdy-all .
22. News: 53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list. December 2, 2010. Los Angeles Times.
23. Web site: 2011 – 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners: Country Field. The Recording Academy. November 30, 2011.
24. Web site: 2012 – 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners: Country Field. The Recording Academy. December 5, 2011.
25. http://www.grammy.com/files/57thpresslist12042014-without_aoy.pdf 2015 Nominees
26. Web site: 2014 Nominees . December 8, 2013 . December 16, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131216085917/http://www.grammy.org/files/press-release/pdf/56nomsfinalrelease_final_.pdf . dead .
27. Web site: 2014 Nominees . December 8, 2013 . December 16, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131216085917/http://www.grammy.org/files/press-release/pdf/56nomsfinalrelease_final_.pdf . dead .
28. News: Grammys 2017: Complete list of winners and nominees . February 12, 2017 . . December 30, 2017 .
29. News: Grammy Awards Winners List: Updating Live . January 28, 2018 . . January 28, 2018.
30. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/61st-annual-grammy-awards Grammy.com, 7 December 2018
31. Web site: 2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Winners List. November 20, 2019. GRAMMY.com.
32. Web site: 2021 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Winners List. November 24, 2020. GRAMMY.com.
33. Web site: 2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List. November 23, 2021. GRAMMY.com.
34. Web site: November 16, 2022 . 2023 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Winners & Nominations List . GRAMMY.com . en.
35. Web site: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List GRAMMY.com . 2023-11-12 . www.grammy.com.
36. Web site: 2025 GRAMMYs: See The OFFICIAL Full Nominations List GRAMMY.com . 2024-11-09 . grammy.com.