Beyoncé Is The Latest Star To Win The Grammy Award For Best Country Album
On February 2, 2025, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter won the Grammy for Best Country Album. Beyoncé accepted the award from presenter Taylor Swift, who won the same trophy 15 years prior for Fearless.
Beyoncé made history as the first black woman to win the category. Later that same night, she also won the Grammys’ top prize, Album of the Year, for Cowboy Carter.
Beyoncé’s Best Country Album win was met with a lot of backlash from country fans, who felt her album was not “country” enough in comparison to past winners.
Who are those past winners? Keep scrolling to see.
See All The Stars Who’ve Won The Grammy For Best Country Album
Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug – By Roger Miller (1965)
When it was first bestowed in 1965, the Grammy Award for Best Country Album was presented as the award for Best Country & Western Album. That trophy went to Roger Miller’s Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug.
Other nominees that year included Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr., Buck Owens, and Jim Reeves.
Counting his Best Country & Western Album trophy, Miller won five Grammys that year.
The Return Of Roger Miller – By Roger Miller (1966)
Roger Miller scored a repeat win in the category at the 1966 Grammy Awards. His album, The Return of Roger Miller, beat out projects from Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves, and Hank Williams with Hank Williams Jr.
Miller won a total of six categories at the 1966 Grammys.
Stones In The Road – Mary Chapin Carpenter (1995)
The Grammys discontinued the Best Country & Western Album award for nearly 30 years. They finally brought it back under a new name in 1995, calling it the award for Best Country Album. The category maintains that name today.
Mary Chapin Carptenter’s Stones in the Road became the first project to win the award after the name change. Her fellow nominees included Asleep at the Wheel, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, and Trisha Yearwood.
The Woman In Me – Shania Twain (1996)
Shania Twain won her first Grammy in 1996 when her album The Woman in Me won the award for Best Country Album. She beat Junior Brown, The Mavericks, John Michael Montgomery, Trisha Yearwood, and Dwight Yoakam to secure the win.
While Twain has never scored a repeat win in the category, she now has five Grammys in total.
The Road to Ensenada – Lyle Lovett (1997)
Lyle Lovett’s The Road to Ensenada won the Grammy for Best Country Album in 1997. His fellow nominees included Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, and Dwight Yoakam.
Lovett has never won the award again, but does have a total of four Grammys to his name.
Unchained – By Johnny Cash (1998)
Surprisingly, 1998 was Johnny Cash’s first and last time winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. He secured the win with his album Unchained, which was the second release in his American Recordings series.
Other artists nominated in the category that year included Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, George Strait, and Dwight Yoakam.
Wide Open Spaces – The Chicks (1999)
The Chicks became the first group to win the Grammy for Best Country Album in 1999. They earned the award for their fourth studio album, Wide Open Spaces.
The Chicks’ fellow nominees included Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Trisha Yearwood.
Fly – The Chicks (2000)
The Chicks won again in 2000 with their album Fly. They became the first artist since Roger Miller to score a back-to-back win in the category.
Other nominees for Best Country Album that year included Asleep at the Wheel, George Jones, Alison Krauss, and the trio of Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and Dolly Parton.
Breathe – By Faith Hill (2001)
Faith Hill won a total of three Grammys in 2001, including the award for Best Country Album. She received the trophy for her fourth studio album, Breathe.
Hill’s fellow nominees that year included Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, and Trisha Yearwood.
Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute – By Various Artists (2002)
The album that won the Grammy for Best Country Album in 2002 was a team effort. The Recording Academy bestowed the award on the Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute album.
Timeless featured recordings from Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, and more.
The album beat out projects by Diamond Rio, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, and Trisha Yearwood to secure the win.
Home – The Chicks (2003)
The Chicks picked up some more hardware from the Grammys when their album Home won the award for Best Country Album in 2003. They became the first artist to win the award three times.
Other nominees that year included Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Joe Nichols, and Dolly Parton.
Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers – By Various Artists (2004)
Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers, another tribute album, won the Best Country Album Grammy in 2004. The record featured recordings from artists such as Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, and Dolly Parton.
The album won the award over projects by Faith Hill, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson (solo AND with Ray Charles), and Shania Twain.
Van Lear Rose – By Loretta Lynn (2005)
Remarkably, country music icon Loretta Lynn had never won the Grammy for Best Country Album until 2005. That’s when her Jack White-produced project, Van Lear Rose, earned the trophy.
Other artists nominated for the award that year included Tim McGraw, Tiff Merritt, Keith Urban, and Gretchen Wilson.
Lonely Runs Both Ways – By Alison Krauss & Union Station (2006)
Alison Krauss was once the most decorated female artist at the Grammys. Beyoncé has since surpassed that record.
One of Krauss’ many Grammy Awards was the award for Best Country Album, which she earned with her band Union Station in 2006. The award recognized their sixth album as a group, Lonely Runs Both Ways.
Other nominees that year included Faith Hill, Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson, and Trisha Yearwood.
Taking The Long Way – The Chicks (2007)
The Chicks became the first (and only) act to win the Grammy for Best Country Album four times. Their fourth win in the category came in 2007 for their album Taking the Long Way.
The album beat out projects by Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Willie Nelson, and Josh Turner.
These Days – Vince Gill (2008)
The legendary Vince Gill won the Grammy for Best Country Album in 2008 for his project These Days. The award is one of many in his collection—he’s won 22 Grammys to date!
Other artists nominated for the award in 2008 included Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, and George Strait.
Troubador – By George Strait (2009)
Somehow, George Strait had never won the Grammy for Best Country Album until 2009. “The King of Country” finally secured the trophy for his album Troubador.
Other artists nominated for the award that year included Jamey Johnson, Patty Loveless, Randy Travis, and Trisha Yearwood.
Fearless – By Taylor Swift (2010)
Taylor Swift won her first four Grammys in 2010. One of those awards was for Best Country Album for her sophomore record, Fearless.
Other artists nominated for the award in 2010 included Zac Brown Band, George Strait, Keith Urban, and Lee Ann Womack.
Swift has since won ten additional Grammys, bringing her total number of wins to 14.
Need You Now – By Lady A (2011)
Lady A’s Need You Now won the Grammy for Best Country Album in 2011. Counting that win, the trio earned a total of four awards at that year’s ceremony.
Their fellow nominees for Best Country Album were Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Jamey Johnson, and Miranda Lambert.
Own The Night – By Lady A (2012)
Lady A scored a repeat victory in 2012, winning the Best Country Album trophy for Own the Night. They became only the second group, following The Chicks, to win the award more than once.
Other artists nominated for Best Country Album in 2012 included Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Taylor Swift.
Uncaged – By Zac Brown Band (2013)
Zac Brown Band kept up the trend of a group winning the award for Best Country Album. They took home the trophy in 2013 for their project Uncaged.
Other nominees that year included Hunter Hayes, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, and The Time Jumpers.
Same Trailer Different Park – By Kacey Musgraves (2014)
Kacey Musgraves won her first two Grammy Awards in 2014. One of those awards was for Best Country Album for Same Trailer Different Park.
Musgraves’ fellow nominees included Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift.
Musgraves has since won a total of eight Grammys, scoring her most recent trophy in 2025 for Best Country Song.
Platinum – By Miranda Lambert (2015)
Miranda Lambert’s Platinum was named the Best Country Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards. It was her first (but not her last) time winning the category.
Other artists nominated for Best Country Album that year included Dierks Bentley, Eric Chruch, Brandy Clark, and Lee Ann Womack.
Traveller – By Chris Stapleton (2016)
Chris Stapleton won his first two Grammys in 2016, including the award for Best Country Album. The trophy went to his debut solo record, Traveller.
His fellow nominees were Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Ashley Monroe, and Kacey Musgraves.
Stapleton has since gone on to win Best Country Album twice more (keep reading to see when) and has 11 Grammy wins in total.
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth – By Sturgill Simpson (2017)
Sturgill Simpson won his first and only Grammy in 2017. His project, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, won the award for Best Country Album.
Starting Over – By Chris Stapleton (2022)
In 2022, Chris Stapleton made history as only the second act (after The Chicks) to win the Grammy for Best Country Album three times. His album Starting Over led him to that victory.
Other artists also nominated for Best Country Album in 2022 included Brothers Osborne, Mickey Guyton, Sturgill Simpson, and the trio of Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, and Jack Ingram.
A Beautiful Time – By Willie Nelson (2023)
Despite being nominated for the award many times prior, Willie Nelson didn’t win the Grammy for Best Country Album until 2023. He finally earned the trophy thanks to his 72nd solo studio album, A Beautiful Time.
It’s worth noting that Nelson was featured on the Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute album, which won Best Country Album in 2002.
Other artists nominated alongside Nelson in the Best Country Album category in 2023 included Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, and Maren Morris.
Bell Bottom Country – By Lainey Wilson (2024)
Other nominees that year included Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Zach Bryan, and Tyler Childers.
Cowboy Carter – By Beyoncé (2025)
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter won the Grammy for Best Country Album in 2025. As mentioned previously, she is the first black woman to ever win the award. Watch her acceptance speech in the video below.
Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, and Post Malone were the other artists nominated for Best Country Album in 2025.
Which one of the Grammy-winning albums featured on this list is your all-time favorite?
Ahead of the 2026 Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy announced the addition of a new “Best Traditional Country Album” category. With this addition, the category previously known as “Best Country Album” has been renamed to “Best Contemporary Country Album.”
Here are the nominees in both categories:
Best Traditional Country Album
- Dollar A Day – Charley Crockett
- American Romance – Lukas Nelson
- Oh What a Beautiful World – Willie Nelson
- Hard Headed Woman – Margo Price
- Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top
Best Contemporary Country Album
- Patterns – Kelsea Ballerini
- Snipe Hunter – Tyler Childers
- Evangeline vs. the Machine – Eric Church
- Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll
- Postcards From Texas – Miranda Lambert
Who do you think will win this year?
