Every Grammy Winner and Nominee for Best Solo Country Performance
A complete year-by-year history of the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance, including winners, nominees, and record-holders.
Written by Amanda Tempel
Published: January 1, 2026
The Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance has been awarded annually since 2011, beginning at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. Created after the Recording Academy retired the gender-specific solo performance categories, the honor recognizes excellence in individual country music performances. The award is presented to a solo artist, not the songwriters.
This article provides a complete list of Best Country Solo Performance winners and nominees from 2011 through 2026, along with historical records for the most wins and nominations.
Note on Grammy years: Grammy Awards ceremonies are named for the year they take place, but they honor music released during the previous eligibility year. As a result, the 2026 Grammy Awards music released in 2025.
At the 69th Annual Grammy Awards, Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Chris Stapleton, Shaboozey, and Tyler Childers are nominated for Best Country Solo Performance. The Grammys air live on CBS on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Find nominees, performers, and show details in this complete Grammy guide.
Grammy Category Guide: Best Country Solo Performance
Chris Stapleton has the most wins in the Best Country Solo Performance category with a total of five.
Chris Stapleton - 5 Wins
Willie Nelson and Carrie Underwood - 2 Wins
Vince Gill, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Darius Rucker, and Taylor Swift - 1 Win
Chris Stapleton is the most-nominated artist for Best Country Solo Performance with a total of seven.
Chris Stapleton - 7 Nominations
Miranda Lambert - 6 Nominations
Carrie Underwood - 5 Nominations
Maren Morris, Blake Shelton, and Keith Urban - 4 Nominations
Tyler Childers, Eric Church, Brandy Clark, Hunter Hayes, and Kacey Musgraves - 3 Nominations
Luke Combs, Mickey Guyton, Willie Nelson, Shaboozey - 2 Nominations
These artists have received one nomination each: Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Beyoncé, Lee Brice, Zach Bryan, Cam, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Sam Hunt, Jason Isbell, Jelly Roll, Alison Krauss, Lainey Wilson, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Ashley McBryde, Dolly Parton, Darius Rucker, Taylor Swift, Tanya Tucker, Zach Top, and Lee Ann Womack.
2011
Winner: “Mean” - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift was the inaugural winner in this category.
Nominees:
“Mama’s Song” - Carrie Underwood
“Honey Bee” - Blake Shelton
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” - Martina McBride
“Dirt Road Anthem” - Jason Aldean
2012
Winner: “Blown Away” - Carrie Underwood
This marked the first of two wins for the American Idol superstar.
Nominees:
“Over” - Blake Shelton
“Wanted” - Hunter Hayes
“Cost of Livin’” - Ronnie Dunn
“Springsteen” - Eric Church
“Home” - Dierks Bentley
2013
Winner: “Wagon Wheel” - Darius Rucker
This remains Darius Rucker’s lone nomination and win in this category.
Nominees:
“Mine Would Be You” - Blake Shelton
“Mama’s Broken Heart” - Miranda Lambert
“I Want Crazy” - Hunter Hayes
“I Drive Your Truck” - Lee Brice
2014
Winner: “Something In The Water” - Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood claims her second victory in this category with a song featured on her greatest hits collection.
Nominees:
“Cop Car” - Keith Urban
“Automatic” - Miranda Lambert
“Invisible” - Hunter Hayes
“Give Me Back My Hometown” - Eric Church
2015
Winner: “Traveller” - Chris Stapleton
The music industry took notice of Chris Stapleton in 2015, and this would be the first of his many wins in this category.
Nominees:
“Chances Are” - Lee Ann Womack
“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” - Keith Urban
“Little Toy Guns” - Carrie Underwood
“Burning House” - Cam
2016
Winner: “My Church” - Maren Morris
Maren Morris becomes the first artist to win this category with their debut single.
Nominees:
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” - Keith Urban
“Church Bells” - Carrie Underwood
“Vice” - Miranda Lambert
“Love Can Go To Hell” - Brandy Clark
2017
Winner: “Either Way” - Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton takes his second win with a song that was originally featured on Lee Ann Womack’s Call Me Crazy album; Stapleton wrote the song.
Nominees:
“I Could Use A Love Song” - Maren Morris
“Tin Man” - Miranda Lambert
“Losing You” - Alison Krauss
“Body Like A Back Road” - Sam Hunt
2018
Winner: “Butterflies” - Kacey Musgraves
While the song was not released to country radio, Kacey Musgraves still won over radio heavyweights like Keith Urban and Chris Stapleton.
Nominees:
“Parallel Line” - Keith Urban
“Millionaire” - Chris Stapleton
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” - Maren Morris
“Wouldn’t It Be Great” - Loretta Lynn
2019
Winner: “Ride Me Back Home” - Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson receives his first win in this category with the title track of his 2018 album.
Nominees:
"Bring My Flowers Now" - Tanya Tucker
“God’s Country” - Blake Shelton
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” - Ashley McBryde
“All Your’n” - Tyler Childers
2020
Winner: “When My Amy Prays” - Vince Gill
Vince Gill extended his string of Grammy wins with a song featured on his critically acclaimed Okie album.
Nominees:
“Bluebird” - Miranda Lambert
“Black Like Me” - Mickey Guyton
“Who You Thought I Was” - Brandy Clark
“Stick That In Your Country Song” - Eric Church
2021
Winner: “You Should Probably Leave” - Chris Stapleton
This would become Chris Stapleton’s third win the category.
Nominees:
“camera roll” - Kacey Musgraves
“All I Do Is Drive” - Jason Isbell
“Remember Her Name” - Mickey Guyton
“Forever After All” - Luke Combs
2022
Winner: “Live Forever” - Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson wins over contemporary country favorites with his take on a Billy Joe Shaver classic.
Nominees:
“Circles Around This Town” - Maren Morris
“In His Arms” - Miranda Lambert
“Something In The Orange” - Zach Bryan
“Heartfirst” - Kelsea Ballerini
2023
Winner: "White Horse" - Chris Stapleton
“White Horse” dominated the Grammy’s, Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards in 2023.
Nominees:
“The Last Thing On My Mind” - Dolly Parton
“Fast Car” - Luke Combs
“Buried” - Brandy Clark
“In Your Love” - Tyler Childers
2024
Winner: “It Takes A Woman” - Chris Stapleton
With his fifth win, Chris Stapleton continues his winning streak in this category.
Nominees:
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” - Shaboozey
“The Architect” - Kacey Musgraves
“I Am Not Okay” - Jelly Roll
“16 Carriages” - Beyonce
2025
Nominees:
“Somewhere Over Laredo” - Lainey Wilson
“I Never Lie” - Zach Top
“Bad As I Used To Be” - Chris Stapleton
“Good News” - Shaboozey
“Nose on the Grindstone” - Tyler Childers
Data compiled from official Grammy Awards records published by the Recording Academy.
This guide is maintained as a continuously updated reference and is reviewed annually using official Grammy Awards records to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Frequently Asked Questions: Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance
When was Best Country Solo Performance introduced?
The Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance was first presented at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards for 2011 nominations. The category was introduced as part of a broader restructuring of Grammy categories by the Recording Academy.
Who has won the most Grammys for Best Country Solo Performance?
Chris Stapleton holds the record for the most wins in the Best Country Solo Performance category, with a total of five victories. His wins span multiple years and highlight his continued impact on modern country music.
What replaced Best Country Male and Female Solo Performance?
Best Country Solo Performance replaced the former gender-specific categories, Best Country Male Solo Performance and Best Country Female Solo Performance. The change created a single, unified category recognizing solo performances regardless of gender.
Is Best Country Solo Performance awarded to the artist or songwriter?
The Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance is awarded to the performing artist. Unlike songwriting categories, the songwriter does not receive a Grammy for this award unless they are also the performer.
Country Music News
Every nominee and winner for the Grammy’s Best Country Solo Performance category.