This is a list of notable events in country music that have occurred in 2026.
Events January 13 – "Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton becomes the first country song in history to be double diamond certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. January 14 – Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association, announces that she would retire at the end of 2026, after twelve years in the role. January 16 – Suzy Bogguss is inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Reba McEntire, who was inducted as an Opry member 40 years earlier. Bogguss was invited on October 11, 2025, by Kathy Mattea, Terri Clark, and Trisha Yearwood. January 17 – Blake Shelton receives his 30th number one single on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with "Stay Country or Die Tryin'", placing him second to Kenny Chesney's 33 for the most number one singles on the chart. January 24 – Paul Brandt makes a post on X using lyrics from his 2005 single "Alberta Bound" that leads to a controversy, with some viewing it as an endorsement of the Alberta separatism movement. February 9 – "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley becomes the first song by a female artist (and the fourth song overall) to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and all-genre Billboard Hot 100 charts simultaneously. March 2 – Megan Moroney and Ella Langley make history as the first pair of female country music artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 simultaneously. Langley's "Choosin' Texas" spent a second week at number one on the Hot 100, while Moroney's Cloud 9 debuted at number one on the albums chart. March 10 – Jelly Roll is inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Lainey Wilson. He was invited by Craig Morgan on December 10, 2025. March 23 – "Choosin' Texas" becomes the first song by a female artist that topped the Hot Country Songs chart to also spend four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. April 11 – Justin Moore's "Time's Ticking" reaches number one on the Country Airplay chart in its 67th chart week, breaking the record for the most weeks spent by a song before topping the chart. April 24–26 – The 2026 edition of Stagecoach Festival takes place at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, featuring headline performances from Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Post Malone. April 26 – Maddie & Tae play their final show together. The duo announced their plans to split in December 2025, citing Taylor Kerr's decision to spend more time with her family. Maddie Font plans to continue as a solo artist. June 8 – "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley spends a 28th week at number one on Hot Country Songs, surpassing Gabby Barrett's "I Hope" to become the most weeks spent at number one for a song by a female artist without another credited artist. June 9 – "I Knew It, I Knew You" by Taylor Swift, from the Toy Story 5 soundtrack, became the first song by a female artist to be added to every country radio station reporting to Mediabase in its first week. June 28 – Rhett Akins is invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Jon Pardi. July 27 – "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley, reached its 15th week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second most weeks spent at number one for a song by a female solo artist behind Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You". August 7 – Charlie Worsham is invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Vince Gill. September 8 – "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley, reached its 21st week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, further breaking the record for a non-holiday song, all-artists; the song was also named Billboard'''s "Song of the Summer". September 22 – Neal McCoy was invited by Pam Tillis to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. "Choosin' Texas" spends a 23rd non-consecutive week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record set by Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and becoming the longest-running number one in the history of the chart. September 29 – Charles Kelley of Lady A revealed that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer after going to the doctor for rib fractures.
Top hits of the year The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, or Canada Country charts in 2026:
Singles released by American and Australian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences215"20 Cigarettes"Morgan Wallen821"6 Months Later"Megan Moroney142 3"Ain't a Bad Life"Thomas Rhett featuring Jordan Davis20735"All My Exes"Lauren Alaina featuring Chase Matthew612"Amen"Shaboozey and Jelly Roll211"Be By You"Luke Combs211"Be Her"Ella Langley843"Beautiful Things"Megan Moroney229"Been By Now"Morgan Wallen761"Better Me for You (Brown Eyes)"Max McNown——18"Betty"Carter Faith421829"Boots Off"Jon Pardi211"Boston"Stella Lefty4——"Bottom of Your Boots"Ella Langley912"Brunette"Tucker Wetmore1412"Carry On"Kenny Chesney522"Change My Mind"Riley Green11237"Chevy Silverado"Bailey Zimmerman111"Choosin' Texas"Ella Langley24838"Country and She Knows It"Luke Bryan112911"Cowgirl"Shaboozey7—31"Dandelion"Ella Langley921"Days Like These"Luke Combs811"Don't Tell on Me"Jason Aldean611"Don't We"Morgan Wallen153432"Dry Spell"Kacey Musgraves132450"Empty Words"Corey Kent201131"Ends of the Earth"Ty Myers7138"The Fall"Cody Johnson1412"Favorite Country Song"Hardy261019"Get to Drinkin'"Zach John King281610"Hands Up"Jelly Roll10636"House Again"Hudson Westbrook12118"How Far Does a Goodbye Go"Jason Aldean31314"I Ain't Comin' Back"Morgan Wallen featuring Post Malone311"I Can't Love You Anymore"Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen311344"I Dare You"Rascal Flatts and Jonas Brothers121"I Knew It, I Knew You"Taylor Swift20331"It Won't Be Long"George Birge81316"Jaded"Koe Wetzel and Ella Langley17327"Kid Myself"John Morgan454—"Last Thing You Need"Morgan Wallen549"Loving Life Again"Ella Langley—2213"Making Good Time"Old Dominion61735"McArthur"Hardy featuring Eric Church, Tim McGraw and Morgan Wallen361151"Me & a Beer"Chris Janson112138"Medicine"Megan Moroney251645"Painted You Pretty"Hudson Westbrook12123"Phone, Keys, Wallet"Lainey Wilson and John Mayer2——"Plastic Cigarette"Zach Bryan111118"Rethink Some Things"Luke Combs391210"Ride, Ride, Ride"George Birge featuring Luke Bryan18420"Rocky Mountain Low"Corey Kent and Koe Wetzel28922"Say So"Dan + Shay7—53"Say Why"Zach Bryan211"Sleepless in a Hotel Room"Luke Combs1140—"Something to Lose"Stella Lefty and Vincent Mason301738"A Song to Sing"Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton211322"South of Sanity"Zach Top2214"Stay Country or Die Tryin'"Blake Shelton1050—"Take Me Back (Leave Me There)"Cody Johnson11116"Think as You Drunk"Riley Green1712"Time's Ticking"Justin Moore240—"Travelin' Soldier"Cody Johnson1121"Turn This Truck Around"Jordan Davis351953"Water at a Wedding"Greylan James1628"What He'll Never Have"Dylan Scott411625"Wish You Well"Vincent Mason1422"Woman"Kane Brown401933"Worth Your Wild"Russell Dickerson
Singles released by Canadian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences——9"After Dark"James Barker Band"Somebody I Know": "After Dark": ——7"Drink Around"Dean Brody"Drink Around": "A Man Without a Woman": ——13"Fools"High Valley"I'm Leavin' You": "Fools": ——6"Going Somewhere"Tim Hicks"Going Somewhere":—1710"Golden Child"Meghan Patrick"Golden Child": "Golden Child" (US): "Safe Place to Break": ——5"Good Time Goes"Dallas Smith"Good Time Goes":1211"Hate How You Look"Josh Ross"Hate How You Look": "Hate How You Look" (US): Scared of Getting Sober": ——6"Hometown Heroes"The Reklaws and Dean Brody"Hometown Heroes": ——9"Hurtin' Songs"Brett Kissel and Dierks Bentley"Hurtin' Songs": ——7"I'm Leavin' You"High Valley——17"Johnnie Walker (Back to Me)"Josh Stumpf"Nobody Roads" Johnnie Walker (Back to Me)": ——6"Just Being Me"Morgan Griffiths"Just Being Me": 24—14"Kingdom of Fear"Cameron Whitcomb"Kingdom of Fear": "Kingdom of Fear (US)": ——4"Love Hate Love"Owen Riegling"Tailight This Town": "Love Hate Love": ——5"A Man Without a Woman"Dean Brody——7"Nobody Roads"Josh Stumpf——13"Put It on Me"Sully Burrows"Put It on Me": ——9"Safe Place to Break"Meghan Patrick——4"Scared of Getting Sober"Josh Ross——18"Shooting Star"Sacha and Restless Road"Shooting Star": ——2"Somebody I Know"James Barker Band——4"Something Else"Brock Phillips"Something Else": ——7"Sunshine's Free"Tenille Townes"Sunshine's Free": ——8"Taillight This Town"Owen Riegling——5"Thought About You"Nate Haller"Thought About You": ——7"Under the Influence"Tyler Joe Miller"Under the Influence":
Top new album releases
AlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReference1With Heaven on TopZach BryanBelting Bronco/WarnerJanuary 91Cloud 9Megan MoroneySony/ColumbiaFebruary 201The Way I AmLuke CombsColumbia NashvilleMarch 201DandelionElla LangleyApril 106Songs About UsJason AldeanBroken BowApril 242Middle of NowhereKacey MusgravesLost HighwayMay 16Is This Heaven? (EP)Stella LeftySandlot/AtlanticMay 158Banks of the TrinityCody JohnsonWarner Music NashvilleJune 264The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western TalesShaboozeyAmerican Dogwood/EmpireJuly 314Long Way HomeStella LeftyAtlantic OutpostAugust 214So Much for GoodbyesBilly StringsReprise/WarnerAugust 282That's Just MeRiley GreenNashville HarborSeptember 188SignsLuke BryanMCA Nashville3Silver Sands MarinaKenny ChesneyHey NowSeptember 25CriscoMiranda LambertBig Loud
Other top albums AlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReference35Heavy on the SoulTy MyersRECORDSMarch 2712Broken ViewSam BarberAtlantic OutpostApril 346Age of the RamCharley CrockettLone Star Rider/Island12Flow StateKeith UrbanMCAJune 1214The Night ChampionKoe WetzelColumbia41Something to SayBlake WhitenJuly 326Little Miss TwainShania TwainRepublic NashvilleJuly 2431Sunburn MixtapeTucker WetmoreBack Blocks/UMG NashvilleJuly 3130YoungDan + ShayWarner NashvilleAugust 2138ThrasherBrandon FlowersIsland19MuleOrville PeckWarnerSeptember 18SunriserLee BriceCurbOctober 2The Hard TruthWynonna JuddAnti-
Upcoming AlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReferenceCountry & MidwesternTigirlily GoldSonyOctober 9Ain't That BadMatt LangIndependentOctober 23WatertownBrothers OsborneMCAClean SlateDustin LynchBroken BowOctober 30Hello, Honky TonkKaitlin ButtsRepublicMade You LookHudson WestbrookWarner NashvilleNovember 7
Hall of Fame inductees Country Music Hall of Fame (announced on March 20, 2026) Tim McGraw Paul Overstreet The Stanley Brothers
Deaths January 6 – Jim McBride, 78, American songwriter ("Chattahoochee") January 19 – Billy Parker, 88, American country music singer and DJLegendary KVOO DJ Billy Parker dies at the age of 88 February 11 – Jerry Kennedy, 85, American record producer February 16 – Brett Jones, 69, American songwriter ("A Little Past Little Rock", "That's How Country Boys Roll", "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away") March 22 – Ronnie Bowman, 64, American bluegrass guitarist and singer-songwriter April 16 – Don Schlitz, 73, American songwriter ("The Gambler", "When You Say Nothing at All", "Forever and Ever, Amen") April 20 – Wayne Moss, 88, American session guitarist ("Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line", "Oh, Pretty Woman") April 29 – David Allan Coe, 86, American singer-songwriter and outlaw country musician ("You Never Even Call Me by My Name", "Longhaired Redneck", "The Ride") June 9 – Bill Cody, 67, American radio personality (WSM) and Grand Ole Opry announcer June 22 – Clive Davis, 94, American record executive and co-founder of Arista Nashville July 2 – Tommy Hunter, 89, Canadian country singer and television host (The Tommy Hunter Show)Tommy Hunter, 'Canada's Country Gentleman,' dead at 89 July 10 – Jimmy Nichols, 64, American keyboardist and music director July 23 – Coy "Denver" Parton, 82, older brother of Dolly Parton August 16 – Hayden Panettiere, 36, actress and singer who portrayed Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT drama musical series Nashville'' and charted with several songs from the series