Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year

The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year.

The inaugural recipient of the award was There Goes My Everything by Jack Greene in 1967, with Jessi Colter becoming the first female winner in 1976, and Alabama being the first group awarded in 1983. George Strait holds the record for most wins in the category, with five, and also leads in nominations, with eighteen. To date, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson are the only women to have won twice. Miranda Lambert is tied with Reba McEntire as the most nominated women in the category, with six nominations each. Brooks & Dunn hold the record for most nominations without a win, with eight.

Eligibility According to the Country Music Association, this award is given to the artist, producer and mix engineer. The album should be judged on all aspects including, but not limited to, artist's performance, musical background, engineering, packaging, design, art, layout and liner notes. At least 75% of the recordings on the album must have achieved peak national prominence during the eligibility period. Greatest hits albums or compilation albums consisting of previously released recordings are not eligible for this award.

The album must have charted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart for the first time during the eligibility period. However, if the album charted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart prior to the eligibility period, but achieved its highest chart position for the first time during the eligibility period, it is eligible unless it has previously appeared on a Final Ballot in this category.

Recipients

Year WinnersArtistNominees2026 TBATBA Ain’t in It for My Health — Zach Top Dandelion — Ella Langley Middle of Nowhere — Kacey Musgraves Parker McCollum — Parker McCollum The Way I Am — Luke Combs2025 WhirlwindLainey Wilson Am I Okay? — Megan Moroney Cold Beer & Country Music — Zach Top F-1 Trillion — Post Malone I’m the Problem — Morgan Wallen2024 LeatherCody Johnson Higher — Chris Stapleton Deeper Well — Kacey Musgraves Fathers & Sons — Luke Combs Whitsitt Chapel — Jelly Roll2023 Bell Bottom Country Lainey Wilson Ashley McBryde presents: Lindeville — Ashley McBryde Gettin' Old — Luke Combs One Thing at a Time — Morgan Wallen Rolling Up the Welcome Mat — Kelsea Ballerini2022 Growin' Up Luke Combs Humble Quest — Maren Morris Palomino — Miranda Lambert Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' — Lainey Wilson Time, Tequila & Therapy — Old Dominion2021 Starting OverChris Stapleton 29 — Carly Pearce Dangerous: The Double Album — Morgan Wallen Heart — Eric Church Skeletons — Brothers Osborne2020 What You See Is What You Get Luke Combs Heartache Medication — Jon Pardi Never Will — Ashley McBryde Old Dominion — Old Dominion Wildcard — Miranda Lambert2019 Girl Maren Morris Center Point Road — Thomas Rhett Cry Pretty — Carrie Underwood Dan + Shay — Dan + Shay Desperate Man — Eric Church2018 Golden Hour Kacey Musgraves From A Room: Volume 2 — Chris Stapleton Graffiti U — Keith Urban Life Changes — Thomas Rhett The Mountain — Dierks Bentley2017 From A Room: Volume 1 Chris Stapleton The Breaker — Little Big Town Heart Break — Lady Antebellum The Nashville Sound — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit The Weight of These Wings — Miranda Lambert2016 Mr. Misunderstood Eric Church Black — Dierks Bentley Hero — Maren Morris Ripcord — Keith Urban Storyteller — Carrie Underwood 2015 Traveller Chris Stapleton Old Boots, New Dirt — Jason Aldean The Big Revival — Kenny Chesney Pageant Material — Kacey Musgraves Pain Killer — Little Big Town2014 Platinum Miranda Lambert Crash My Party — Luke Bryan Fuse — Keith Urban The Outsiders — Eric Church Riser — Dierks Bentley2013 Based on a True Story... Blake Shelton Tornado — Little Big Town Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves Red — Taylor Swift Blown Away — Carrie Underwood2012 Chief Eric Church Home — Dierks Bentley Tailgates & Tanlines — Luke Bryan Own the Night — Lady Antebellum Four the Record — Miranda Lambert2011 My Kinda Party Jason Aldean This Is Country Music — Brad Paisley All About Tonight — Blake Shelton Speak Now — Taylor Swift You Get What You Give — Zac Brown Band2010 Revolution Miranda LambertUp on the Ridge — Dierks Bentley Need You Now — Lady Antebellum Twang — George Strait Play On — Carrie Underwood2009 Fearless Taylor Swift American Saturday Night — Brad Paisley That Lonesome Song — Jamey Johnson Love on the Inside — Sugarland Defying Gravity — Keith Urban2008 Troubadour George Strait Cowboy Town — Brooks & Dunn Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates — Kenny Chesney Good Time — Alan Jackson Carnival Ride — Carrie Underwood2007 It Just Comes Natural George Strait Long Trip Alone — Dierks Bentley These Days — Vince Gill 5th Gear — Brad Paisley Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing — Keith Urban2006 Time Well Wasted Brad Paisley Hillbilly Deluxe — Brooks & Dunn The Road and the Radio — Kenny Chesney Precious Memories — Alan Jackson Me and My Gang — Rascal Flatts2005 There's More Where That Came From Lee Ann Womack Live Like You Were Dying — Tim McGraw Feels Like Today — Rascal Flatts Somewhere Down in Texas — George Strait Be Here — Keith Urban2004 When the Sun Goes Down Kenny Chesney Red Dirt Road — Brooks & Dunn Shock'n Y'all — Toby Keith Mud on the Tires — Brad Paisley Here for the Party — Gretchen Wilson2003 American IV: The Man Comes Around Johnny Cash Home — Dixie Chicks Man with a Memory — Joe Nichols Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors — Tim McGraw Unleashed — Toby Keith2002 Drive Alan Jackson New Favorite — Alison Krauss and Union Station No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems — Kenny Chesney Pull My Chain — Toby Keith The Great Divide — Willie Nelson The Road Less Traveled — George Strait2001 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Various Artists Born to Fly — Sara Evans Set This Circus Down — Tim McGraw Steers & Stripes — Brooks & Dunn When Somebody Loves You — Alan Jackson2000 Fly Dixie Chicks Breathe — Faith Hill I Hope You Dance — Lee Ann Womack Under the Influence — Alan Jackson Who Needs Pictures — Brad Paisley1999 A Place in the Sun Tim McGraw Always Never the Same — George Strait The Key — Vince Gill Two Teardrops — Steve Wariner Where Your Road Leads — Trisha Yearwood1998 Everywhere Tim McGraw Come on Over — Shania Twain Long Stretch of Lonesome — Patty Loveless One Step at a Time — George Strait Sevens — Garth Brooks1997 Carrying Your Love with Me George Strait Blue — LeAnn Rimes Did I Shave My Legs for This? — Deana Carter Everybody Knows — Trisha Yearwood Everything I Love — Alan Jackson1996 Blue Clear Sky George Strait Borderline — Brooks & Dunn High Lonesome Sound — Vince Gill The Trouble with the Truth — Patty Loveless Wild Angels — Martina McBride1995 When Fallen Angels Fly Patty Loveless John Michael Montgomery — John Michael Montgomery Lead On — George Strait When Love Finds You — Vince Gill Who I Am — Alan Jackson1994 Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles Various Artists Tribute to The Music of Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys — Asleep at the Wheel Easy Come Easy Go — George Strait Rhythm, Country and Blues — Various Artists Who I Am — Alan Jackson1993 I Still Believe in You Vince Gill A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) — Alan Jackson Come On, Come On — Mary Chapin Carpenter Hard Workin' Man — Brooks & Dunn The Chase — Garth Brooks1992 Ropin' the Wind Garth Brooks Brand New Man — Brooks & Dunn For My Broken Heart — Reba McEntire What Do I Do with Me — Tanya Tucker Wynonna — Wynonna Judd1991 No Fences Garth Brooks Don't Rock the Jukebox — Alan Jackson Pocket Full of Gold — Vince Gill Put Yourself in My Shoes — Clint Black Rumor Has It — Reba McEntire1990 Pickin' on Nashville The Kentucky Headhunters Here in the Real World — Alan Jackson I Wonder Do You Think of Me — Keith Whitley Livin' It Up — George Strait RVS III — Ricky Van Shelton1989 Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Beyond the Blue Neon — George Strait Loving Proof — Ricky Van Shelton Old 8×10 — Randy Travis Willow in the Wind — Kathy Mattea1988 Born to Boogie Hank Williams Jr. Chiseled in Stone — Vern Gosdin Diamonds and Dirt — Rodney Crowell If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' — George Strait Untasted Honey — Kathy Mattea1987 Always And Forever Randy Travis Trio — Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton Wine Colored Roses — George Jones What Am I Gonna Do About You — Reba McEntire Ocean Front Property — George Strait1986 Lost in the Fifties Tonight Ronnie Milsap 7 — George Strait Rockin' with the Rhythm — The Judds Storms of Life — Randy Travis Whoever's in New England — Reba McEntire1985 Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind George Strait 40—Hour Week — Alabama Country Boy — Ricky Skaggs My Kind of Country — Reba McEntire Why Not Me — The Judds1984 A Little Good News Anne Murray Don't Cheat in Our Hometown — Ricky Skaggs Right or Wrong — George Strait Roll On — Alabama That's the Way Love Goes — Merle Haggard1983 The Closer You Get Alabama Highways & Heartaches — Ricky Skaggs It Ain't Easy — Janie Fricke Pancho & Lefty — Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard Wild and Blue — John Anderson1982 Always on My Mind Willie Nelson Big City — Merle Haggard Bobbie Sue — Oak Ridge Boys Mountain Music — Alabama Still the Same Ole Me — George Jones1981 I Believe in You Don Williams 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs — Dolly Parton Feels So Right — Alabama I Am What I Am — George Jones Out Where the Bright Lights Are Glowing — Ronnie Milsap1980 Coal Miner's Daughter Sissy Spacek Beverly D'Angelo Levon Helm Just Good Ol' Boys — Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley Kenny — Kenny Rogers Roses in the Snow — Emmylou Harris There's a Little Bit of Hank in Me — Charley Pride1979 The Gambler Kenny Rogers Armed and Crazy — Johnny Paycheck One for the Road — Willie Nelson and Leon Russell Rose Colored Glasses — John Conlee The Originals — The Statler Brothers1978 It Was Almost Like a Song Ronnie Milsap Country Boy — Don Williams Heaven's Just a Sin Away — The Kendalls Here You Come Again — Dolly Parton Waylon and Willie — Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson1977 Ronnie Milsap Live Ronnie Milsap I Don't Want to Have to Marry You — Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius I Remember Patsy — Loretta Lynn Kenny Rogers — Kenny Rogers Ol' Waylon — Waylon Jennings1976 Wanted! The Outlaws Jessi Colter Tompall Glaser Waylon Jennings Willie Nelson 200 Years of Country Music — Sonny James Night Things — Ronnie Milsap Teddy Bear — Red Sovine The Blind Man in the Bleachers — Kenny Starr1975 A Legend in My Time Ronnie Milsap An Evening with John Denver — John Denver Before the Next Teardrop Falls — Freddie Fender Feelins' — Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty Rhinestone Cowboy — Glen Campbell The Ramblin' Man — Waylon Jennings1974 Very Special Love Songs Charlie Rich Country Bumpkin — Cal Smith If We Make It Through December — Merle Haggard If You Love Me, Let Me Know — Olivia Newton—John You've Never Been This Far Before — Conway Twitty1973 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich Entertainer of the Year — Loretta Lynn Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man — Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty Satin Sheets — Jeanne Pruett The Storyteller — Tom T. Hall1972 Let Me Tell You About a Song Merle Haggard Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs — Charley Pride Coat of Many Colors — Dolly Parton Lead Me On — Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. — Donna Fargo1971 I Won't Mention It Again Ray Price A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills) — Merle Haggard Help Me Make It Through the Night — Sammi Smith Rose Garden — Lynn Anderson When You're Hot, You're Hot — Jerry Reed1970 Okie from Muskogee Merle Haggard The Fightin' Side of Me — Merle Haggard Hello Darlin' — Conway Twitty Hello, I'm Johnny Cash — Johnny Cash