The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year.[1] This Award goes to the songwriter(s) and is for artistic achievement in songwriting. Any Country Music song with original words and music is eligible based upon the song's Country singles chart activity during the eligibility period.[2] It is the sister category to the Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year, which recognizes the artist, producer and engineer.
Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Presented by | Country Music Association |
First awarded | 1967 |
Currently held by | Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson (2024) |
It was first handed out at the inaugural 1967 CMA Awards to Dallas Frazier for his song "There Goes My Everything" which had been popularised at that time by Jack Greene. K. T. Oslin became the first woman to win the award in 1988 for her hit "80's Ladies". Vince Gill is the most awarded songwriter in the category, with four wins, while two—time winner Alan Jackson and 2014 recipient Shane McAnally hold the record for most nominations, with ten each. Bob McDill and Brad Paisley are the most nominated writers not to win, with six nominations. The current holder of the award is Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson, who wrote Stapleton's hit "White Horse", which won at the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2024.
To date, thirteen men: Dallas Frazier (1967), Bobby Russell (1968), Bob Ferguson (1969), Kris Kristofferson (1970), Freddie Hart (1971—2), Kenny O'Dell (1973), Don Wayne (1974), John Denver (1975), Larry Weiss (1976), Richard Leigh (1978), Don Schlitz (1979), Lee Greenwood (1985) and Vince Gill (1996) and seven women: K.T. Oslin (1988), Gretchen Peters (1995), Jennifer Nettles (2008), Kimberly Perry (2011), Lori McKenna (2016), Taylor Swift (2017) and Tracy Chapman (2023) have won the Song of the Year award with a solo composition.
To date, only three songs, "Easy Loving", "Always on My Mind" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today", have received the award in consecutive years and only Freddie Hart, Don Schlitz, Vince Gill and Lori McKenna have won in consecutive years.
Recipients
edit2020s
edit2010s
edit2000s
edit1990s
edit1980s
edit1970s
edit1960s
editYear | Songwriter(s) | Title | Nominees |
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1969 | Bob Ferguson | "The Carroll County Accident" |
|
1968 | Bobby Russell | "Honey" | |
1967 | Dallas Frazier | "There Goes My Everything" |
|
Writers with multiple wins
editAwards | Artist |
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4 | Vince Gill |
3 | Don Schlitz |
2 | Bill Anderson |
Chris Stapleton | |
Freddie Hart | |
Lori McKenna | |
Mike Henderson | |
Paul Overstreet |
Writers with multiple nominations
edit- 10 nominations
- 7 nominations
- 6 nominations
- 5 nominations
- 4 nominations
- 3 nominations
- 2 nominations
- Archie Jordan
- Ashley McBryde
- Ben Peters
- Bobby Russell
- Brandy Clark
- Brett James
- Carly Pearce
- Casey Beathard
- Chips Moman
- Chris DuBois
- Clint Black
- Craig Martin
- Craig Wiseman
- Dan Smyers
- Dewayne Blackwell
- Dickey Lee
- Dierks Bentley
- Frank J. Myers
- Freddie Hart
- Gary Baker
- Gene Nelson
- Gretchen Wilson
- Hayden Nicholas
- James House
- Jamey Johnson
- Jamie O'Hara
- Jeff Hyde
- Jim McBride
- John Anderson
- Johnny Christopher
- Jonathan Singleton
- Jordan Davis
- Jordan Reynolds
- Jordan Schmidt
- Josh Kear
- K. T. Oslin
- Keith Stegall
- Kenny O'Dell
- Kris Kristofferson
- Lainey Wilson
- Lee Thomas Miller
- Larry Cordle
- Larry Johnson
- Larry Shell
- Lee Greenwood
- Lori McKenna
- Marcus Hummon
- Mark Irwin
- Mark James
- Mary Chapin Carpenter
- Matraca Berg
- Max D. Barnes
- Monty Criswell
- Paul Nelson
- Randy Travis
- Richard Leigh
- Robert Williford
- Rodney Crowell
- Roger Bowling
- Roger Murrah
- Rory Bourke
- Sam Hogin
- Sanger Shafer
- Tammy Wynette
- Taylor Swift
- Tim DuBois
- Vern Gosdin
- Wayne Carson
- Wynn Varble
- Zach Crowell
References
edit- ^ "CMA Awards Past Winners & Nominees".
- ^ "About". CMA Awards 2021 | Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8|7c on ABC. Retrieved 2021-11-02.