# 2009 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2009.

## Events

* June 10 – Carrie Underwood and Keith Anderson at the City of Hope Softball Challenge at Greer Stadium.
* August – After 36 years of using the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart as the basis of its program, American Country Countdown begins using the Mediabase chart.
* August 10 – Brooks & Dunn announce that they are disbanding in 2010 after two decades as a duo.
* August 25 – Jack Ingram sets Guinness Book of World Records mark for most consecutive radio interviews in 24 hours, having done 215 consecutive interviews for five minutes each.
* September 13 – Taylor Swift becomes the first country music artist to win an MTV Music Video award at the 2009 event, winning a Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me". Hip hop artist and producer Kanye West interrupts Swift's acceptance speech, implying that another video should have won instead. This results in a media stir for several days; eventually, West apologizes – first on his blog, and then by personally contacting Swift.
* October 15 – Garth Brooks announces that he is emerging from retirement to perform shows in Las Vegas. These concerts will be held approximately fifteen weekends per year until the year 2014. His first set of performances already sells out.

## Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2009:
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| 20 | 38 | 15 Minutes | Rodney Atkins |
| 14 | 31 | All I Ask For Anymore | Trace Adkins |
| 1 | 1 | Already Gone | Sugarland |
| 1 | 2 | Alright | Darius Rucker |
| 11 | — | Always the Love Songs | Eli Young Band |
| 1 | 37 | American Ride | Toby Keith |
| 10 | 14 | Barefoot and Crazy | Jack Ingram |
| 32 | 8 | Belongs to You | Emerson Drive |
| 9 | 23 | Best Days of Your Life | Kellie Pickler |
| 1 | 3 | Big Green Tractor | Jason Aldean |
| 4 | 34 | Bonfire | Craig Morgan |
| 2 | 27 | Boots On | Randy Houser |
| 26 | 10 | Brothers | Dean Brody |
| 1 | 1 | Country Boy | Alan Jackson |
| 1 | 2 | Cowboy Casanova | Carrie Underwood |
| 2 | 1 | Cowgirls Don't Cry | Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire |
| 2 | 4 | Do I | Luke Bryan |
| 2 | 14 | Don't | Billy Currington |
| 2 | 40 | Don't Think I Can't Love You | Jake Owen |
| 1 | 1 | Down the Road | Kenny Chesney with Mac McAnally |
| 11 | 37 | Eight Second Ride | Jake Owen |
| 20 | — | Everything Is Fine | Josh Turner |
| 1 | 2 | Feel That Fire | Dierks Bentley |
| 7 | 4 | Fifteen | Taylor Swift |
| 1 | 8 | Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song) | Chris Young |
| 1 | 4 | God Love Her | Toby Keith |
| 1 | 4 | Here | Rascal Flatts |
| 1 | 4 | Here Comes Goodbye | Rascal Flatts |
| 16 | 8 | Honky Tonk Stomp | Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons |
| 17 | — | How 'bout You Don't | The Lost Trailers |
| 18 | 31 | I Just Call You Mine | Martina McBride |
| 1 | 1 | I Run to You | Lady Antebellum |
| 2 | 1 | I Told You So | Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis |
| 18 | — | I Will | Jimmy Wayne |
| 8 | 40 | I'll Just Hold On | Blake Shelton |
| 6 | 6 | I'm Alive | Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews |
| 9 | 34 | In Color | Jamey Johnson |
| 16 | 13 | Indian Summer | Brooks & Dunn |
| 1 | 1 | It Happens | Sugarland |
| 1 | 1 | It Won't Be Like This for Long | Darius Rucker |
| 13 | 3 | It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You | Tim McGraw |
| 1 | — | It's America | Rodney Atkins |
| 17 | 6 | Joey | Sugarland |
| 3 | 1 | Kiss a Girl | Keith Urban |
| 14 | 43 | Last Call | Lee Ann Womack |
| 12 | — | Let Me | Pat Green |
| 2 | 4 | Living for the Night | George Strait |
| 10 | 17 | Lost You Anyway | Toby Keith |
| 10 | 23 | Love Your Love the Most | Eric Church |
| 14 | 5 | Marry for Money | Trace Adkins |
| 17 | 34 | More Like Her | Miranda Lambert |
| 1 | 1 | Need You Now | Lady Antebellum |
| 5 | 3 | Nothin' to Die For | Tim McGraw |
| 5 | 6 | One in Every Crowd | Montgomery Gentry |
| 1 | 1 | Only You Can Love Me This Way | Keith Urban |
| 1 | 1 | Out Last Night | Kenny Chesney |
| 1 | 2 | People Are Crazy | Billy Currington |
| 7 | 38 | Red Light | David Nail |
| 11 | 22 | Ride | Martina McBride |
| 1 | 6 | River of Love | George Strait |
| 10 | 47 | Runaway | Love and Theft |
| 1 | 7 | She Wouldn't Be Gone | Blake Shelton |
| 1 | 14 | She's Country | Jason Aldean |
| 12 | 18 | Shuttin' Detroit Down | John Rich |
| 1 | 4 | Sideways | Dierks Bentley |
| 9 | 6 | Sissy's Song | Alan Jackson |
| 1 | — | Small Town USA | Justin Moore |
| 11 | 37 | Sounds Like Life to Me | Darryl Worley |
| 1 | 1 | Start a Band | Brad Paisley duet with Keith Urban |
| 11 | 11 | Strange | Reba |
| 2 | 1 | Summer Nights | Rascal Flatts |
| 1 | 1 | Sweet Thing | Keith Urban |
| 18 | 35 | That's a Man | Jack Ingram |
| 1 | 1 | Then | Brad Paisley |
| 1 | 3 | Toes | Zac Brown Band |
| 2 | 1 | Welcome to the Future | Brad Paisley |
| 2 | 7 | Whatever It Is | Zac Brown Band |
| 11 | 47 | Where I'm From | Jason Michael Carroll |
| 2 | 5 | White Horse | Taylor Swift |
| 18 | 21 | Why | Rascal Flatts |
| 15 | 34 | Wild at Heart | Gloriana |
| 1 | 1 | You Belong with Me | Taylor Swift |

## Top new album releases

The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2009:
| US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Release Date |
| 1 | #1s... and Then Some | Brooks & Dunn | Arista Nashville | September 8 |
| 7 | 127 Rose Avenue | Hank Williams, Jr. | Curb | June 16 |
| 1 | American Ride | Toby Keith | Show Dog | October 6 |
| 1 | American Saturday Night | Brad Paisley | Arista Nashville | June 30 |
| 4 | Carolina | Eric Church | Capitol Nashville | March 24 |
| 1 | Defying Gravity | Keith Urban | Capitol Nashville | March 31 |
| 2 | Doin' My Thing | Luke Bryan | Capitol Nashville | October 6 |
| 2 | Easy Does It | Jake Owen | RCA Nashville | February 24 |
| 1 | Feel That Fire | Dierks Bentley | Capitol Nashville | February 3 |
| 5 | For Our Heroes | Montgomery Gentry | Columbia Nashville | May 26 |
| 2 | Gloriana | Gloriana | Emblem/Reprise/Warner Bros. | August 4 |
| 3 | Gold and Green | Sugarland | Mercury Nashville | October 13 |
| 1 | Greatest Hits II | Kenny Chesney | BNA | May 19 |
| 7 | Growing Up Is Getting Old | Jason Michael Carroll | Arista Nashville | April 28 |
| 1 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Various Artists | Walt Disney | March 24 |
| 10 | Happiness and All the Other Things | Cross Canadian Ragweed | Universal South | September 1 |
| 3 | I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis | Randy Travis | Warner Bros. Nashville | March 17 |
| 3 | It's America | Rodney Atkins | Curb | March 31 |
| 3 | Justin Moore | Justin Moore | Valory Music Group | August 11 |
| 1 | Keep On Loving You | Reba McEntire | Valory Music Group/Starstruck | August 18 |
| 5 | The List | Rosanne Cash | Manhattan/EMI | October 6 |
| 1 | Live on the Inside | Sugarland | Mercury Nashville | August 4 |
| 6 | The Man I Want to Be | Chris Young | RCA Nashville | September 1 |
| 8 | Natural Forces | Lyle Lovett | Curb/Lost Highway | October 20 |
| 4 | Now That's What I Call Country Volume 2 | Various Artists | Sony | August 25 |
| 1 | Play On | Carrie Underwood | Arista Nashville | November 3 |
| 1 | Revolution | Miranda Lambert | Columbia Nashville | September 29 |
| 1 | Shine | Martina McBride | RCA Nashville | March 24 |
| 5 | Sing: Chapter 1 | Wynonna | Asylum-Curb | February 3 |
| 3 | Son of a Preacher Man | John Rich | Warner Bros. Nashville | March 24 |
| 10 | Songs of Love and Heartache | Alan Jackson | Cracker Barrel | November 2 |
| 1 | Southern Voice | Tim McGraw | Curb | October 20 |
| 6 | Townes | Steve Earle | New West | May 12 |
| 1 | Twang | George Strait | MCA Nashville | August 11 |
| 1 | Unstoppable | Rascal Flatts | Lyric Street | April 7 |
| 2 | What I'm For | Pat Green | BNA | January 27 |
| 2 | Wide Open | Jason Aldean | Broken Bow | April 7 |
| 10 | World Wide Open | Love and Theft | Carolwood | August 25 |

### Other top albums

| US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Release Date |
| 29 | Aged and Confused | Bill Engvall | Warner Bros. Nashville | October 6 |
| 14 | American Classic | Willie Nelson | Blue Note | August 25 |
| 13 | Back to Tennessee | Billy Ray Cyrus | Lyric Street | April 7 |
| 45 | Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings and the .357's | Shooter Jennings | Universal South | March 24 |
| 33 | Beautiful Day | Charlie Robison | Dualtone | June 23 |
| 13 | Behavioral Problems | Ron White | Capitol Nashville | April 21 |
| 21 | Big Dreams & High Hopes | Jack Ingram | Big Machine | August 25 |
| 16 | The Boys Are Back | The Oak Ridge Boys | Quarterback | May 19 |
| 44 | Brothers from Different Mothers | Dailey & Vincent | Rounder | March 31 |
| 29 | Closer to the Bone | Kris Kristofferson | New West | September 29 |
| 22 | A Collection of My Best Recollection | George Jones | Cracker Barrel | September 1 |
| 32 | Country Club | John Doe and The Sadies | Yep Roc | April 14 |
| 41 | Country Is as Country Does | Colt Ford | Average Joe's | October 6 |
| 40 | Davisson Brothers Band | Davisson Brothers Band | Yell | March 10 |
| 32 | Dean Brody | Dean Brody | Broken Bow | April 28 |
| 47 | Deep in the Heart of Texas: Aaron Watson Live | Aaron Watson | Thirty Tigers | September 15 |
| 36 | Dolly: Live from London | Dolly Parton | Dolly Records | November 10 |
| 19 | El Niño Loco | Rodney Carrington | Capitol Nashville | June 16 |
| 24 | Fight Like a Girl | Bomshel | Curb | October 20 |
| 25 | The Foundation (bonus tracks) | Zac Brown Band | Cracker Barrel | September 8 |
| 28 | A Gospel Journey | The Oak Ridge Boys | Gaither | April 21 |
| 27 | Greatest Hits | Big & Rich | Warner Bros. Nashville | September 29 |
| 37 | Here with Me | Holly Williams | Mercury Nashville | June 16 |
| 38 | Hills and Valleys | The Flatlanders | New West | March 31 |
| 19 | I'm About to Come Alive | David Nail | MCA Nashville | August 18 |
| 23 | iTunes Originals | Keith Urban | Capitol Nashville | July 21 |
| 44 | A Little More Country Than That (EP) | Easton Corbin | Mercury Nashville | August 18 |
| 20 | Live from Bonnaroo | Zac Brown Band | Atlantic/Home Grown/Big Picture | August 4 |
| 45 | Live from the Suwannee River Jam | Colt Ford | Average Joe's | December 8 |
| 43 | Live Sessions | Jason Aldean | Broken Bow | November 23 |
| 44 | The Long Way Home | Terri Clark | EMI Canada/Capitol/BareTrack | September 1 |
| 29 | Lost Highway | Willie Nelson | Lost Highway | August 11 |
| 40 | A Moment in Time | Lorrie Morgan | Country Crossing | October 27 |
| 19 | Mountain Soul II | Patty Loveless | Saguaro Road | September 29 |
| 28 | Moving On | Casey Donahew Band | Almost Country | September 1 |
| 27 | My Turn | Tanya Tucker | Saguaro Road | June 30 |
| 29 | Naked Willie | Willie Nelson | Legacy | March 17 |
| 40 | Never Going Back | Collin Raye | Saguaro Road | April 28 |
| 11 | Now That's What I Call a Country Christmas | Various Artists | Sony | October 6 |
| 30 | Off the Hillbilly Hook | Trailer Choir | Show Dog Nashville | June 9 |
| 15 | Old Things New | Joe Nichols | Universal South | October 27 |
| 50 | On the Can | Larry the Cable Guy | Warner Bros. Nashville | July 21 |
| 37 | The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy | Big Kenny | Love Everybody/Bigger Picture | November 10 |
| 41 | The Reason | Diamond Rio | Word | September 22 |
| 17 | Roadhouse Sun | Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses | Lost Highway | June 2 |
| 20 | The Rock | Tracy Lawrence | Rocky Comfort/CO5 | June 9 |
| 17 | The Rose Hotel | Robert Earl Keen | Lost Highway | September 29 |
| 32 | Sara Smile | Jimmy Wayne | Valory Music Group | November 23 |
| 39 | Solo (Songs My Dad Loved) | Ricky Skaggs | Skaggs Family | September 15 |
| 26 | Sounds Like Life | Darryl Worley | Stroudavarious | June 9 |
| 19 | Tailgate Party | Larry the Cable Guy | Warner Bros. Nashville | September 22 |
| 19 | Then Sings My Soul | Ronnie Milsap | Star Song | March 10 |
| 31 | Three Wooden Crosses: The Inspirational Hits of Randy Travis | Randy Travis | Word | March 17 |
| 29 | Traveling Circus | Phil Vassar | Universal South | December 15 |
| 44 | Unwrapped | Rascal Flatts | Lyric Street | November 23 |
| 13 | Willie and the Wheel | Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel | Lost Highway | February 3 |

## Deaths

* January 9 – Jon Hager, 67, one half of the Hager Twins, gained fame on Hee Haw.
* February 3 – Tom Brumley, 74, steel guitarist for Buck Owens' Buckaroos, Ricky Nelson, and Desert Rose Band; member Int'l Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Fame; best known for steel guitar work on "Together Again"
* February 7 – Molly Bee, 69, gained fame through appearances on Hometown Jamboree. (complications from a stroke)
* March 2 – Ernest Ashworth, 80, Grand Ole Opry star, best known for his 1963 Number One hit, "Talk Back Tremblin' Lips".
* March 8 – Hank Locklin, 91, Grand Ole Opry star, best known for his 1960 crossover hit, "Please Help Me, I'm Falling".
* March 25 – Dan Seals, 61, singer-songwriter of the 1980s, best known for his 1985 crossover hit, "Bop". (mantle cell lymphoma)
* April 28 – Vern Gosdin, 74, singer-songwriter known as "the Voice." (complications from a stroke)
* June 10 – Barry Beckett, 66, record producer and session musician (natural causes)
* June 24 – Tim Krekel, 58, country music songwriter ("Cry on the Shoulder of the Road") (cancer)
* July 28 – Reverend Ike, 74, Ike made a guest appearance on Hank Williams Jr.'s single "Mind Your Own Business", a Number One country hit in 1986. (complications from a stroke)
* August 13 – Les Paul, 94, recording innovator and electric guitar inventor, both which have seen significant use in country music (complications from pneumonia)
* August 14 – Warren "Gates" Nichols, 65, steel guitarist and co-founding member of the 1990s group Confederate Railroad (pancreatic cancer).
* September 27 – Ruby Wright, 69, daughter of country music legends Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright and prominent member of her parents' touring act (heart-related illness)

## Hall of Fame Inductees
### Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Inductees

* Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
* The Dillards

### Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

* Roy Clark (1933–2018)
* Barbara Mandrell (born 1948)
* Charlie McCoy (born 1941)

### Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

* Buffy Sainte-Marie
* Barry Haugen
* John Murphy

## Major awards
### Grammy Awards

(presented January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles)
* Album of the Year – Fearless by Taylor Swift
* Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "White Horse", Taylor Swift
* Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Sweet Thing", Keith Urban
* Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "I Run to You", Lady Antebellum
* Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "I Told You So", Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis
* Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Producer's Medley", Steve Wariner
* Best Country Song – "White Horse", Taylor Swift and Liz Rose
* Best Country Album – Fearless by Taylor Swift
* Best Bluegrass Album – The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, Steve Martin

### Juno Awards

(presented April 18, 2010 in St. John's)
* Country Album of the Year – Dance with Me, Johnny Reid

### CMT Music Awards

(presented June 16 in Nashville)
* Video of the Year – "Love Story", Taylor Swift
* Male Video of the Year – "Waitin' on a Woman", Brad Paisley
* Female Video of the Year – "Love Story", Taylor Swift
* Group Video of the Year – "Every Day", Rascal Flatts
* Duo Video of the Year – "All I Want to Do", Sugarland
* USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Chicken Fried", Zac Brown Band
* Collaborative Video of the Year – "Start a Band", Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
* Performance of the Year – "Country Boy", Alan Jackson featuring George Strait, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley
* Wide Open Country Video of the Year – "All Summer Long", Kid Rock
* Video Director of the Year – Trey Fanjoy
* Nationwide On Your Side Award – Gloriana

### Academy of Country Music

(presented April 18, 2010 in Las Vegas)
* Entertainer of the Year – Carrie Underwood
* Top Male Vocalist – Brad Paisley
* Top Female Vocalist – Miranda Lambert
* Top Vocal Group – Lady Antebellum
* Top Vocal Duo – Brooks & Dunn
* Top New Solo Vocalist – Luke Bryan
* Top New Vocal Duo – Joey + Rory
* Top New Vocal Group – Gloriana
* Top New Artist – Luke Bryan
* Album of the Year – Revolution, Miranda Lambert
* Single Record of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
* Song of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
* Video of the Year – "White Liar", Miranda Lambert
* Vocal Event of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone", Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins

### Americana Music Honors & Awards

* Album of the Year – Written in Chalk (Buddy and Julie Miller)
* Artist of the Year – Buddy Miller
* Duo/Group of the Year – Buddy and Julie Miller
* Song of the Year – "Chalk" (Julie Miller)
* Emerging Artist of the Year – Justin Townes Earle
* Instrumentalist of the Year – Gurf Morlix
* Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – John Fogerty
* Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Asleep at the Wheel
* Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist – Sam Bush
* Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Ken Levitan
* Lifetime Achievement: Producer/Engineer – Jim Rooney

### American Music Awards

(presented in Los Angeles on November 22, 2009)
* Artist of the Year – Taylor Swift
* Favorite Country Female Artist – Taylor Swift
* Favorite Country Male Artist – Keith Urban
* Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group – Rascal Flatts
* Favorite Country Album – Fearless by Taylor Swift

### ARIA Awards

(presented in Sydney on November 26, 2009)
* Best Country Album – I Love This Place (Troy Cassar-Daley)
* ARIA Hall of Fame – Kev Carmody
* ARIA Hall of Fame – The Dingoes

### Canadian Country Music Association

(presented September 13 in Vancouver)
* Fans' Choice Award – Johnny Reid
* Male Artist of the Year – Johnny Reid
* Female Artist of the Year – Crystal Shawanda
* Group or Duo of the Year – Doc Walker
* Songwriter(s) of the Year – "A Woman Like You", written by Johnny Reid and Brent Maher
* Single of the Year – "Brothers", performed by Dean Brody
* Album of the Year – Dance with Me, Johnny Reid
* Top Selling Album – Fearless, Taylor Swift
* Top Selling Canadian Album – Dance with Me, Johnny Reid
* CMT Video of the Year – "A Woman Like You", Johnny Reid
* Rising Star Award – Tara Oram
* Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Corb Lund

### Country Music Association

(presented November 11 in Nashville)
* Entertainer of the Year – Taylor Swift
* Single of the Year – "I Run to You", Lady Antebellum
* Song of the Year – "In Color", Jamey Johnson
* Vocal Group of the Year – Lady Antebellum
* New Artist of the Year – Darius Rucker
* Album of the Year – Fearless, Taylor Swift
* Musician of the Year – Mac McAnally
* Vocal Duo of the Year – Sugarland
* Music Video of the Year – "Love Story", Taylor Swift
* Male Vocalist of the Year – Brad Paisley
* Female Vocalist of the Year – Taylor Swift
* Musical Event of the Year – "Start a Band", Brad Paisley and Keith Urban