Grammy Award for Best Country Song
The Grammy Award for Best Country Song (sometimes known as the Country Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the writer(s) of the song, not to the artist, except if the artist is also the songwriter.
There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:
- From 1965 to 1968 it was known as Best Country & Western Song
- From 1969 to 1983 it was awarded as Best Country Song
- In 1984 it was awarded as Best New Country Song
- From 1985 to the present it has again been awarded as Best Country Song
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for music released in the previous year.
2010s
2000s
1990s
- Grammy Awards of 1995
- Gary Baker & Frank J. Myers for "I Swear" performed by John Michael Montgomery
"How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" (Burton Banks Collins & Karen Taylor Good) Patty Loveless
"Independence Day" (Gretchen Peters) Martina McBride
"Shut Up and Kiss Me" (Mary Chapin Carpenter) Mary Chapin Carpenter
"When Love Finds You" (Vince Gill & Michael Omartian) Vince Gill
- Grammy Awards of 1994
- Lucinda Williams for "Passionate Kisses" performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter
"Ain't That Lonely Yet" (Kostas & James House) Dwight Yoakam
"Chattahoochee" (Alan Jackson & Jim McBride) Alan Jackson
"Does He Love You" (Sandy Knox & Billy Stretch) Reba McEntire & Linda Davis
"The Hard Way" (Mary Chapin Carpenter) Mary Chapin Carpenter
- Grammy Awards of 1993
- Vince Gill and John Barlow Jarvis for "I Still Believe in You" performed by Vince Gill
"I Feel Lucky" (Mary Chapin Carpenter & Don Schlitz) Mary Chapin Carpenter
"Achy Breaky Heart" (Don Von Tress) Billy Ray Cyrus
"She Is His Only Need" (Dave Loggins) Wynonna Judd
"The Greatest Man I Never Knew" (Richard Leigh & Layng Martine, Jr.) Reba McEntire
- Grammy Awards of 1992
- John Barlow Jarvis, Naomi Judd & Paul Overstreet for "Love Can Build a Bridge" performed by The Judds
"Don't Rock The Jukebox" (Alan Jackson, Roger Murrah & Keith Stegall) Alan Jackson
"Down at the Twist and Shout" (Mary-Chapin Carpenter) Mary Chapin Carpenter
"Eagle When She Flies" (Dolly Parton) Dolly Parton
"Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" (Travis Tritt) Travis Tritt
- Grammy Awards of 1991
- Don Henry & Jon Vezner for "Where've You Been" performed by Kathy Mattea
"Come Next Monday" (K.T. Oslin, Rory Michael Bourke & Charlie Black) K.T. Oslin
"The Dance" (Tony Arata) Garth Brooks
"Friends In Low Places" (DeWayne Blackwell & Earl Bud Lee) Garth Brooks
"When I Call Your Name" (Vince Gill & Tim DuBois) Vince Gill
- Grammy Awards of 1990
- Rodney Crowell for "After All This Time" performed by Rodney Crowell
"A Better Man" (Clint Black & Hayden Nicholas) Clint Black
"Luck in My Eyes" (k.d. lang & Ben Mink) k.d. lang
"She Don't Love Nobody" (John Hiatt) The Desert Rose Band
"There's a Tear in My Beer" (Hank Williams, Sr.) Hank Williams, Sr. & Hank Williams, Jr.
1980s
- Grammy Awards of 1989
- K.T. Oslin for "Hold Me"
"Chiseled in Stone" (Vern Gosdin & Max Barnes)
"I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried" (Rodney Crowell)
"Streets of Bakersfield" (Homer Joy) Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens
- Grammy Awards of 1988
- Paul Overstreet & Don Schlitz for "Forever and Ever, Amen" performed by Randy Travis
"All My Ex's Live In Texas" (Sanger D. Shafer & Lyndia J. Shafer) George Strait
"I'll Still Be Loving You" (Todd Cerney, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pat Bunch & Pam Rose) Restless Heart
"Telling Me Lies" (Linda Thompson & Betsy Cook)
- Grammy Awards of 1987
- Jamie O'Hara for "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)" performed by The Judds
"Guitars, Cadillacs" (Dwight Yoakam)
"Whoever's in New England" (Quentin Powers & Kendall Franceschi) Reba McEntire
- Grammy Awards of 1986
- Jimmy L. Webb for "Highwayman" performed by The Highwaymen
"Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" (Bob McDill)
"Desperados Waiting for a Train" (Guy Clark)
"40 Hour Week (For a Livin')" (Dave Loggins, Lisa Silver & Don Schlitz)
"I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" (Rosanne Cash & Rodney Crowell) Rosanne Cash
"Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" (Mike Reid, Troy Seal & Fred Parris) Ronnie Milsap
"Love Is Alive" (Kent M. Robbins)
- Grammy Awards of 1985
- Steve Goodman for "City of New Orleans" performed by Willie Nelson
"All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" (Hank Williams, Jr.)
"Faithless Love" (John David Souther)
"God Bless The USA" (Lee Greenwood)
"Mama He's Crazy" (Kenny O'Dell) The Judds
- Grammy Awards of 1984
- Mike Reid for "Stranger in My House" performed by Ronnie Milsap
"Baby I Lied" (Deborah Allen, Rory Bourke & Rafe Van Hoy) Deborah Allen
"I.O.U." (Kerry Chater & Austin Roberts) Lee Greenwood
"Lady Down on Love" (Randy Owen)
"A Little Good News" (Tommy Rocco, Charlie Black & Rory Bourke) Anne Murray
- Grammy Awards of 1983
- Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher & Mark James for "Always on My Mind" performed by Willie Nelson
"I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home" (D. Blackwell)
"Nobody" (Kye Flemming & Dennis Morgan) Sylvia
"Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" (Don Goodman, Pam Rose & Mary Ann Kennedy) Lee Greenwood
"She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)(Tim DuBois)
"Elvira" (Dallas Frazier) Oak Ridge Boys
"I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" (Kye Fleming & Dennis Morgan) Barbara Mandrell
"Somebody's Knockin'" (Ed Penney & Jerry Gillespie) Terri Gibbs
"You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" (Larry Collins & Sandy Pinkard) David Frizzell & Shelly West
"Drivin' My Life Away" (Eddie Rabbitt, Even Stevens & David Malloy) Eddie Rabbitt
"He Stopped Loving Her Today" (Bobby Braddock & Curly Putman) George Jones
"I Believe in You" (Roger Cook & Sam Hogin) Don Williams
"Lookin' For Love" (Bob Morrison, Wanda Mallette & Patti Ryan) Johnny Lee
- Grammy Awards of 1980
- Debbie Hupp & Bob Morrison for "You Decorated My Life" performed by Kenny Rogers
- "All the Gold in California" - (Larry Gatlin)
- "Blue Kentucky Girl" - (Johnny Mullins) Emmylou Harris
- "Every Which Way But Loose" - (Steve Dorff, Milton Brown, Snuff Garrett) Eddie Rabbitt
- "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" - (David Bellamy) The Bellamy Brothers
1970s
| Year | Winner | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Don Schlitz for "The Gambler" performed by Kenny Rogers |
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| 1978 | Richard Leigh for "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" performed by Crystal Gayle |
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| 1977 | Larry Gatlin for "Broken Lady" performed by Larry Gatlin |
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| 1976 | Chips Moman, Larry Butler for "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" performed by B. J. Thomas |
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| 1975 | Norro Wilson, Billy Sherrill for "A Very Special Love Song" performed by Charlie Rich |
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| 1974 | Kenny O'Dell for "Behind Closed Doors" performed by Charlie Rich |
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| 1973 | Ben Peters for "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" performed by Charley Pride |
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| 1972 | Kris Kristofferson for "Help Me Make It Through the Night" performed by Sammi Smith |
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| 1971 | Marty Robbins for "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" performed by Marty Robbins |
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| 1970 | Shel Silverstein for "A Boy Named Sue" performed by Johnny Cash |
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1960s
| Year | Winner | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bobby Russell for "Little Green Apples", performed by Roger Miller |
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| 1968 | John Hartford for "Gentle On My Mind" performed by Glen Campbell |
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| 1967 | Billy Sherrill, Glenn Sutton for "Almost Persuaded" performed by David Houston |
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| 1966 | Roger Miller for "King of the Road" performed by Miller |
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| 1965 | Roger Miller for "Dang Me" performed by Roger Miller |
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