• January – The critically acclaimed ABC/CMT series Nashville announces it will stop production after its sixth season which premiered on January 4, 2018. The show's last episode aired on July 26, 2018.
• January 17 – Kenny Chesney announces that he has left Sony Music Nashville after 23 years and has subsequently signed with Warner Bros. Records Nashville.^[1]
• February 2 – Montgomery Gentry release their final album together, Here's to You, following the death of Troy Gentry in September 2017.^[2]
• April 14 – Weeks after his impromptu performance of the Hank Williams Sr. hit song "Lovesick Blues" at his local Wal-Mart in southern Illinois had made him a viral country phenomenon, 11 year old Mason Ramsey realizes his dream of performing at the Grand Ole Opry. Five years later, a teenaged Ramsey would return to the Opry, performing the song again on the 75th anniversary of the country standard.^[1]
• April 15 – The Academy of Country Music awards return to Las Vegas for the first time since the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting, with Reba McEntire returning as host; Carrie Underwood makes her comeback performance after months out of the public eye while recovering from injuries she suffered in a fall at home.^[3]
• April 30 – USA Network announces Real Country, a reality competition show designed to find the next big country star and featuring Travis Tritt, Jake Owen and Shania Twain as judges.^[4]
• June 8 – Sugarland returns with the release of their first album together since 2010, Bigger.^[5]
• June 25 – Fox announces it will air "iHeartCountry Festival", featuring headliners Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, and more in August.^[6]
• June 26 – Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and Faith Hill are announced to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.^[7]
• July 25 – Reba McEntire is announced as one of the recipients of the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors.^[8]
• August 8 – Carrie Underwood announces her pregnancy with her second child.^[9]
• September 20 – Carrie Underwood receives her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[10]
• November 20 – Jimmie Allen reaches number one on Country Airplay with "Best Shot", making him the first African American to send a debut single to the top of that chart.^[11]

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, or Canada Country charts in 2018:

Singles released by American and Australian artists edit

Singles released by Canadian artists edit

Notes edit

• "—" denotes releases that did not chart
• A^ Current singles.

The following albums placed on the Top Country Albums charts in 2018:

Other top albums edit

• January 2 – Rick Hall, 85, record producer and owner of FAME Studios^[167][168]
• January 23 – Lari White, 52, singer-songwriter and actress best known for the hit "Now I Know" (advanced peritoneal cancer).^[169]
• February 12 – Daryle Singletary, 46, neotraditionalist singer-songwriter with hits including "I Let Her Lie", "Amen Kind of Love" and "Too Much Fun".^[170] (blood clot)
• February 25 – Bruce Nelson Stratton, 74, American radio personality (throat cancer).^[171]
• March 2 – Ronnie Prophet, 80, Canadian country music singer (multiple organ failure).^[172]
• March 18 – Hazel Smith, 83, American country music journalist, publicist and songwriter; first to coin the phrase "outlaw" in relation to country music.^[173]
• March 27 – Kenny O'Dell, 73, American country singer-songwriter ("Behind Closed Doors", "Lizzie and the Rainman", "Mama He's Crazy"), Grammy winner (1974).^[174]
• April 17 – Tom McBride, 81, Irish country star and lead singer of Big Tom and The Mainliners.^[175]
• April 18 – Randy Scruggs, 64, multiple Grammy-winning songwriter and guitarist; son of Earl Scruggs.^[176]
• June 2 – Wayne Secrest, 68, bassist for Confederate Railroad^[177]
• June 5 – Billy ThunderKloud, 70, Native American country music singer.^[178] (complications from stroke and pneumonia).
• August 4 – Lorrie Collins, 76, American rockabilly singer, member of The Collins Kids.^[179][180]
• October 27 – Freddie Hart, 91, singer-songwriter ("Easy Loving", "My Hang-Up Is You", "Trip to Heaven", "Hang In There Girl") (pneumonia).
• November 1 – Dave Rowland, 74, lead singer of Dave & Sugar (stroke).
• November 15 – Roy Clark, 85, country music singer, musician and host of Hee Haw (complications from pneumonia).
• December 15 – Jerry Chesnut, 87, songwriter ("It's Four in the Morning", "T-R-O-U-B-L-E")^[181]
• December 22 – Jimmy Work, 94, American country singer-songwriter ("Making Believe").^[182][183]
• December 31 – Ray Sawyer, 81, American country singer Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (short illness).^[184][185]

Bluegrass Hall of Fame edit

• Tom T. Hall and Dixie Hall^[186]
• Ricky Skaggs^[186]
• Paul Williams^[186]

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees edit

• Ricky Skaggs, bluegrass-influenced-and-styled singer-songwriter-musician and leading figure in the neotraditionalist movement of the 1980s onward (born 1954).^[187]
• Dottie West, leading singer of the 1960s and early 1970s, enjoyed pop-styled resurgence in late 1970s and early 1980s (1932–1991).^[187]
• Johnny Gimble, Western swing-styled musician and member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys (1926–2015).^[187]

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees edit

• Terri Clark, singer (born 1968)^[188]
• Jackie Rae Greening, broadcaster^[188]

Academy of Country Music edit

(presented in Las Vegas on April 7, 2019)

• Entertainer of the Year – Keith Urban
• Male Vocalist of the Year – Thomas Rhett
• Female Vocalist of the Year – Kacey Musgraves
• Vocal Duo of the Year – Dan + Shay
• Vocal Group of the Year – Old Dominion
• New Male Vocalist of the Year – Luke Combs
• New Female Vocalist of the Year – Ashley McBryde
• New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year – Lanco
• Songwriter of the Year – Shane McAnally
• Album of the Year – Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves)
• Single of the Year – "Tequila" (Dan + Shay)
• Song of the Year – "Tequila" (Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds Dan Smyers)
• Vocal Event of the Year – "Burning Man" (Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne
• Video of the Year – "Drunk Girl" (Chris Janson)
• Artist of the Decade – Jason Aldean

ACM Honors^[189]
(presented August 22 in Nashville)

• Cliffie Stone Icon Award – Alan Jackson
• Merle Haggard Spirit Award – Dierks Bentley
• Mae Boren Axton Award – Mickey Christensen, Chris Christensen and Eddie Miller
• Poet's Award – Matraca Berg and Norro Wilson
• Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award – Darius Rucker
• Gene Weed Milestone Award – Sam Hunt
• Songwriter of the Year – Rhett Akins
• Producer of the Year – Dave Cobb
• Jim Reeves International Award – Rob Potts

Americana Music Honors & Awards edit

(presented on September 12, 2018)^[190]

• Album of the Year – The Nashville Sound (Jason Isbell)
• Artist of the Year – John Prine
• Duo/Group of the Year – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• Song of the Year – "If We Were Vampires" (Jason Isbell)
• Emerging Artist of the Year – Tyler Childers
• Instrumentalist of the Year – Molly Tuttle
• Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award – Rosanne Cash
• Lifetime Achievement: Trailblazer – k.d. lang
• Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Irma Thomas
• Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist – Buddy Guy
• Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Judy Dlugacz and Cris Williamson

American Music Awards edit

(presented in Los Angeles on October 9, 2018)

• Favorite Male Artist – Kane Brown
• Favorite Female Artist – Carrie Underwood
• Favorite Group or Duo – Florida Georgia Line
• Favorite Album – Kane Brown (Kane Brown)
• Favorite Song – "Heaven" (Kane Brown)

ARIA Awards edit

(presented in Sydney on November 28, 2018)^[191]

• Best Country Album – Campfire (Kasey Chambers)
• ARIA Hall of Fame – Kasey Chambers

Billboard Music Awards edit

(presented in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018)

• Top Country Artist – Chris Stapleton
• Top Male Country Artist – Chris Stapleton
• Top Female Country Artist – Maren Morris
• Top Country Duo/Group – Florida Georgia Line
• Top Country Album – From A Room: Volume 1 (Chris Stapleton)
• Top Country Song – "Body Like a Back Road" (Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
• Top Country Tour – Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day Tour (Luke Bryan)

CMT Awards edit

(presented on June 7, 2018, in Nashville)^[192]

• Video of the Year – "I'll Name the Dogs" (Blake Shelton)
• Male Video of the Year – "I'll Name the Dogs" (Blake Shelton)
• Female Video of the Year – "The Champion" (Carrie Underwood ft. Ludacris)
• Duo Video of the Year – "Tequila" (Dan + Shay)
• Group Video of the Year – "When Someone Stops Loving You" (Little Big Town)
• Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Every Little Thing" (Carly Pearce)
• Collaborative Video of the Year – "What Ifs" (Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina)
• CMT Performance of the Year – "Everybody" (Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line) from CMT Crossroads

CMT Artists of the Year
(presented on October 17, 2019, in Nashville)^[193]

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Karen Fairchild
• Miranda Lambert
• Maren Morris
• Kimberley Schlapman
• Hillary Scott
• Carrie Underwood
• Artist of a Lifetime: Shania Twain

Country Music Association Awards edit

(presented on November 15, 2018, in Nashville)^[194]

• Entertainer of the Year – Keith Urban
• Male Vocalist of the Year – Chris Stapleton
• Female Vocalist of the Year – Carrie Underwood
• New Artist of the Year – Luke Combs
• Vocal Duo of the Year – Brothers Osborne
• Vocal Group of the Year – Old Dominion
• Musician of the Year – Mac McAnally
• Single of the Year – "Broken Halos" (Chris Stapleton)
• Song of the Year – "Broken Halos" (Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton)
• Album of the Year – Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves)
• Musical Event of the Year – "Everything's Gonna Be Alright (David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney)
• Music Video of the Year – "Marry Me" (Thomas Rhett)
• International Artist Achievement Award – Little Big Town
• Global Artist Achievement Award – Dean Brody (Canada)

Grammy Awards edit

(presented in Los Angeles on February 10, 2019)

• Album of the Year – Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves)
• Best Country Solo Performance – "Butterflies" (Kacey Musgraves)
• Best Country Duo/Group Performance – "Tequila" (Dan + Shay)
• Best Country Song – "Space Cowboy" (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves)
• Best Country Album – Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves)
• Best Bluegrass Album – The Travelin' McCourys (The Travelin' McCourys)
• Best Americana Album – By the Way, I Forgive You (Brandi Carlile)
• Best American Roots Performance – "The Joke" (Brandi Carlile)
• Best American Roots Song – "The Joke" (Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth)
• Best Roots Gospel Album – Unexpected (Jason Crabb)

International Bluegrass Music Association Awards edit

(presented on September 27, 2018)^[195]

• Entertainer of the Year – Balsam Range
• Male Vocalist of the Year – Buddy Melton
• Female Vocalist of the Year – Brooke Aldridge
• Vocal Group of the Year – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
• Instrumental Group of the Year – The Travelin' McCourys
• Emerging Artist of the Year – The Po' Ramblin' Boys
• Guitar Player of the Year – Molly Tuttle
• Banjo Player of the Year – Ned Luberecki
• Mandolin Player of the Year – Sierra Hull
• Fiddle Player of the Year – Michael Cleveland
• Bass Player of the Year – Tim Surrett
• Dobro Player of the Year – Justin Moses
• Album of the Year – Rivers & Roads (The Special Consensus)
• Song of the Year – "If I'd Have Wrote That Song" (Larry Cordle, Larry Shell, James Silvers)
• Recorded Event of the Year – "Swept Away" (Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Sierra Hull and Molly Tuttle)
• Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year – "Squirrel Hunters" (The Special Consensus with John Hartford, Rachel Baiman, Christian Sedelmyer and Alison Brown)
• Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year – "Speakin' To That Mountain" (Becky Buller)

Juno Awards edit

(presented in London on March 16–17, 2019)

• Country Album of the Year – We Were That Song (Brett Kissel)
• Contemporary Roots Album of the Year – Both Ways (Donovan Woods)
• Traditional Roots Album of the Year – Sweet Old Religion (Pharis and Jason Romero)
• Breakthrough Group of the Year – The Washboard Union
• Recording Engineer of the Year – Shawn Everett (Golden Hour)

• Country Music Association
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame