Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year

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
CountryUnited States
Presented byCountry Music Association
First awarded1967
Currently held byChris 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

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Tracy Chapman became the first black woman to win a CMA award when Luke Combs' cover of her 1988 hit "Fast Car" won Song of the Year.
 
Two—time recipient Chris Stapleton.
 
Lori McKenna won the award in consecutive years (2015—16) and also received Grammy Awards for the same songs.
 
2012 winner Blake Shelton wrote "Over You" about the death of his brother.
 
Jennifer Nettles is one of seven women to receive the award for a solo composition.
 
Two—time winner Jamey Johnson.
 
Renowned songwriter Bill Anderson received the award in 2005 and 2007.
 
Four—time honoree Vince Gill.
 
1970 recipient Kris Kristofferson won for his classic hit "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down".

2020s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
2024   Chris Stapleton
  Dan Wilson
"White Horse"
2023   Tracy Chapman "Fast Car"
2022   Jacob Davis
  Jordan Davis
  Josh Jenkins

  Matt Jenkins
"Buy Dirt"
2021   Mike Henderson
  Chris Stapleton
"Starting Over"
2020   Maren Morris
  Jimmy Robbins
  Laura Veltz
"The Bones"

2010s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
2019   Luke Combs
  Wyatt Durrette
  Robert Williford
"Beautiful Crazy"
2018   Mike Henderson
  Chris Stapleton
"Broken Halos"
2017   Taylor Swift "Better Man"
2016   Lori McKenna "Humble and Kind"
2015   Hillary Lindsey
  Lori McKenna
  Liz Rose
"Girl Crush"
2014   Brandy Clark
  Shane McAnally
  Kacey Musgraves
"Follow Your Arrow"
2013   Jessi Alexander
  Connie Harrington
  Jimmy Yeary
"I Drive Your Truck"
2012   Miranda Lambert
  Blake Shelton
"Over You"
2011   Kimberly Perry "If I Die Young"
2010   Tom Douglas
  Allen Shamblin
"The House That Built Me"

2000s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
2009   Jamey Johnson
  Lee Thomas Miller
  James Otto
"In Color"
2008   Jennifer Nettles "Stay"
2007   Bill Anderson
  Buddy Cannon
  Jamey Johnson
"Give It Away"
2006   Ronnie Dunn

  Craig Wiseman

"Believe"
2005   Bill Anderson
  Jon Randall
"Whiskey Lullaby"
2004   Tim Nichols
  Craig Wiseman
"Live Like You Were Dying"
2003   Doug Johnson
  Kim Williams
"Three Wooden Crosses"
2002   Alan Jackson "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
2001   Larry Cordle
  Larry Shell
"Murder on Music Row"
2000   Mark D. Sanders
  Tia Sillers
"I Hope You Dance"

1990s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
1999   Beth Nielsen Chapman
  Robin Lerner
  Annie Roboff
"This Kiss"
1998   Billy Kirsch
  Steve Wariner
"Holes in the Floor of Heaven"
1997   Matraca Berg
  Gary Harrison
"Strawberry Wine"
1996   Vince Gill "Go Rest High on That Mountain"
1995   Gretchen Peters "Independence Day"
1994   Jim McBride
  Alan Jackson
"Chattahoochee"
1993   Vince Gill
  John Barlow Jarvis
"I Still Believe in You"
1992   Max D. Barnes
  Vince Gill
"Look at Us"
1991   Tim DuBois
  Vince Gill
"When I Call Your Name"
1990   Don Henry
  Jon Vezner
"Where've You Been"

1980s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
1989   Max D. Barnes
  Vern Gosdin
"Chiseled in Stone"
1988   K. T. Oslin "80's Ladies"
1987   Paul Overstreet
  Don Schlitz
"Forever and Ever, Amen"
1986   Paul Overstreet
  Don Schlitz
"On the Other Hand"
1985   Lee Greenwood "God Bless the U.S.A."
1984   Larry Henley
  Jeff Silbar
"The Wind Beneath My Wings"
1983   Wayne Carson
  Johnny Christopher
  Mark James
"Always on My Mind"
1982
1981   Bobby Braddock
  Curly Putman
"He Stopped Loving Her Today"
1980

1970s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
1979   Don Schlitz "The Gambler"
1978   Richard Leigh "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"
1977   Roger Bowling
  Hal Bynum
"Lucille"
1976   Larry Weiss "Rhinestone Cowboy"
1975   John Denver "Back Home Again"
1974   Don Wayne "Country Bumpkin"
1973   Kenny O'Dell "Behind Closed Doors"
1972   Freddie Hart "Easy Loving"
1971
1970   Kris Kristofferson "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"

1960s

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Year Songwriter(s) Title Nominees
1969   Bob Ferguson "The Carroll County Accident"
1968   Bobby Russell "Honey"
1967   Dallas Frazier "There Goes My Everything"

Writers with multiple wins

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Songwriters that received multiple awards
Awards Artist
4 Vince Gill
3 Don Schlitz
2 Bill Anderson
Chris Stapleton
Freddie Hart
Lori McKenna
Mike Henderson
Paul Overstreet

Writers with multiple nominations

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10 nominations
7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

References

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  1. ^ "CMA Awards Past Winners & Nominees".
  2. ^ "About". CMA Awards 2021 | Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8|7c on ABC. Retrieved 2021-11-02.