# 1997 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1997.

## Events

* April 22 - George Strait releases his 17th studio album, Carrying Your Love with Me. The album went on to be nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards.
* July 12 — The song, "It's Your Love," by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill becomes the first song in 20 years to spend six weeks atop Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The last song to do so was 1977's "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" by Waylon Jennings. In that span, more than 750 songs had reached No. 1 on the country chart, a majority of them for just one week. The song sparked a renewed wave of songs that spend at least five weeks at No. 1, thanks in part to newer chart tracking methods and programming changes at country radio stations.
* August 7 - Garth Brooks plays a free concert at New York's Central Park, drawing over 1 million fans, with many dubbing it "Garthstock"; the special is broadcast on HBO, with its audience drawing 14.6 million. Billy Joel and Don McLean make special guest appearances.
* November 4 - Shania Twain releases her third studio album, Come On Over. The album becomes the best-selling country album of all time, best-selling studio album by a female act, best-selling album by a Canadian and ninth best-selling album in the United States and worldwide.
* December 10 – Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes at the Christmas Time with Eddy Arnold.

### No dates

* Jimmie Rodgers is elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as an early influence).
* Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes both record the song "How Do I Live" for the movie Con Air. Producers from the film ask Rimes to record it first but feel her version is not what they have in mind due to the performance itself and her young age. Yearwood then records the song and releases at the same time Rimes releases her song. Although Rimes' version peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, her version is shunned from the country charts yet reaches No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Yearwood's version, meanwhile, peaks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and also makes the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, as well as reaching No. 1 in Canada and No. 1 on the US Radio & Records chart.

## Top hits of the year
### Singles released by American artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| 21 | 16 | 455 Rocket | Kathy Mattea |
| 4 | 4 | All the Good Ones Are Gone | Pam Tillis |
| 2 | 2 | Amen Kind of Love | Daryle Singletary |
| 3 | 14 | Another You | David Kersh |
| 2 | 3 | Better Man, Better Off | Tracy Lawrence |
| 3 | 5 | Big Love | Tracy Byrd |
| 1 | 1 | Carrying Your Love with Me | George Strait |
| 30 | 16 | Cold Outside | Big House |
| 1 | 3 | Come Cryin' to Me | Lonestar |
| 5 | 7 | Count Me In | Deana Carter |
| 3 | 4 | Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard | Alabama |
| 21 | 12 | Dark Horse | Mila Mason |
| 11 | 12 | Day In, Day Out | David Kersh |
| 17 | 13 | Don't Love Make a Diamond Shine | Tracy Byrd |
| 4 | 4 | Don't Take Her She's All I Got | Tracy Byrd |
| 3 | 2 | Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie | Michael Peterson |
| 20 | 22 | Ease My Troubled Mind | Ricochet |
| 3 | 1 | Everybody Knows | Trisha Yearwood |
| 9 | 6 | Everything I Love | Alan Jackson |
| 1 | 2 | Everywhere | Tim McGraw |
| 2 | 5 | The Fool | Lee Ann Womack |
| 2 | 1 | Friends | John Michael Montgomery |
| 1 | 11 | From Here to Eternity | Michael Peterson |
| 4 | 4 | A Girl's Gotta Do (What a Girl's Gotta Do) | Mindy McCready |
| 3 | 3 | Go Away | Lorrie Morgan |
| 4 | 17 | Good as I Was to You | Lorrie Morgan |
| 6 | 2 | Half Way Up | Clint Black |
| 18 | 14 | He Left a Lot to Be Desired | Ricochet |
| 18 | 22 | Heartbroke Every Day | Lonestar |
| 18 | 21 | Helping Me Get Over You | Travis Tritt featuring Lari White |
| 7 | 9 | Her Man | Gary Allan |
| 4 | 5 | Holdin' | Diamond Rio |
| 3 | 3 | Honky Tonk Truth | Brooks & Dunn |
| 4 | 5 | How a Cowgirl Says Goodbye | Tracy Lawrence |
| 1 | 2 | How Do I Get There | Deana Carter |
| 2 | 1 | How Do I Live | Trisha Yearwood |
| 1 | 1 | How Was I to Know | Reba McEntire |
| 2 | 8 | How Was I to Know | John Michael Montgomery |
| 1 | 1 | How Your Love Makes Me Feel | Diamond Rio |
| 8 | 11 | I Can't Do That Anymore | Faith Hill |
| 17 | 14 | I Have to Surrender | Ty Herndon |
| 2 | 1 | I Left Something Turned On at Home | Trace Adkins |
| 6 | 5 | I Miss You a Little | John Michael Montgomery |
| 7 | 26 | I Only Get This Way with You | Rick Trevino |
| 19 | 18 | I Will, If You Will | John Berry |
| 2 | 2 | I'd Rather Ride Around with You | Reba McEntire |
| 9 | 12 | If She Don't Love You | The Buffalo Club |
| 4 | 7 | If You Love Somebody | Kevin Sharp |
| 2 | 2 | In Another's Eyes | Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks |
| 2 | 1 | Is That a Tear | Tracy Lawrence |
| 1 | 5 | It's a Little Too Late | Mark Chesnutt |
| 19 | 14 | It's All the Same to Me | Billy Ray Cyrus |
| 1 | 1 | It's Your Love | Tim McGraw (with Faith Hill) |
| 19 | 27 | King of the Mountain | George Strait |
| 5 | 16 | Land of the Living | Pam Tillis |
| 8 | 16 | Let It Rain | Mark Chesnutt |
| 11 | 5 | Let Me into Your Heart | Mary Chapin Carpenter |
| 5 | 13 | The Light in Your Eyes | LeAnn Rimes |
| 2 | 6 | A Little More Love | Vince Gill |
| 9 | 8 | Little Things | Tanya Tucker |
| 1 | 1 | Longneck Bottle | Garth Brooks |
| 4 | 3 | Love Is the Right Place | Bryan White |
| 2 | 2 | Loved Too Much | Ty Herndon |
| 1 | 4 | A Man This Lonely | Brooks & Dunn |
| 18 | 11 | Maybe He'll Notice Her Now | Mindy McCready featuring Lonestar's Richie McDonald |
| 4 | 1 | Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It | Tim McGraw |
| 1 | 6 | Me Too | Toby Keith |
| 1 | 1 | Nobody Knows | Kevin Sharp |
| 2 | 2 | On the Verge | Collin Raye |
| 1 | 1 | One Night at a Time | George Strait |
| 18 | 12 | One, Two, I Love You | Clay Walker |
| 5 | 7 | Places I've Never Been | Mark Wills |
| 7 | 22 | Please | The Kinleys |
| 2 | 3 | Pretty Little Adriana | Vince Gill |
| 4 | 5 | The Rest of Mine | Trace Adkins |
| 1 | 1 | Rumor Has It | Clay Walker |
| 1 | 6 | Running Out of Reasons to Run | Rick Trevino |
| 2 | 1 | Sad Lookin' Moon | Alabama |
| 5 | 7 | The Shake | Neal McCoy |
| 4 | 2 | She Drew a Broken Heart | Patty Loveless |
| 21 | 19 | She Wants to Be Wanted Again | Ty Herndon |
| 24 | 17 | She's Going Home with Me | Travis Tritt |
| 1 | 1 | She's Got It All | Kenny Chesney |
| 3 | 4 | She's Sure Taking It Well | Kevin Sharp |
| 2 | 2 | She's Taken a Shine | John Berry |
| 14 | 21 | Shut Up and Drive | Chely Wright |
| 1 | 1 | Sittin' on Go | Bryan White |
| 13 | 9 | Six Days on the Road | Sawyer Brown |
| 2 | 3 | Something That We Do | Clint Black |
| 11 | 1 | Still Holding On | Clint Black & Martina McBride |
| 31 | 16 | The Swing | James Bonamy |
| 2 | 7 | Thank God for Believers | Mark Chesnutt |
| 15 | 10 | That's Another Song | Bryan White |
| 1 | 1 | There Goes | Alan Jackson |
| 1 | 1 | (This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing | Trace Adkins |
| 6 | 11 | This Night Won't Last Forever | Sawyer Brown |
| 3 | 7 | Today My World Slipped Away | George Strait |
| 15 | 24 | The Trouble with the Truth | Patty Loveless |
| 3 | 3 | Unchained Melody | LeAnn Rimes |
| 4 | 13 | Watch This | Clay Walker |
| 1 | 1 | We Danced Anyway | Deana Carter |
| 2 | 2 | We Were in Love | Toby Keith |
| 26 | 19 | What If I Do | Mindy McCready |
| 15 | 26 | What If It's You | Reba McEntire |
| 2 | 2 | What the Heart Wants | Collin Raye |
| 10 | 12 | Whatever Comes First | Sons of the Desert |
| 2 | 4 | When I Close My Eyes | Kenny Chesney |
| 13 | 6 | When Love Starts Talkin' | Wynonna Judd |
| 6 | 8 | Where Corn Don't Grow | Travis Tritt |
| 2 | 2 | Who's Cheatin' Who | Alan Jackson |
| 8 | 9 | Why Would I Say Goodbye | Brooks & Dunn |
| 8 | 8 | You and You Alone | Vince Gill |
| 14 | 37 | You Don't Seem to Miss Me | Patty Loveless |

### Singles released by Canadian artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| — | 10 | Ain't No Justice | Greg Hanna |
| — | 3 | Almost Always | Chris Cummings |
| — | 4 | The Answer Is Yes | Michelle Wright |
| — | 3 | Born Again in Dixieland | Jason McCoy |
| — | 9 | The Craziest Thing | Rick Tippe |
| — | 19 | A Dozen Red Roses | Joan Kennedy |
| 10 | 1 | Emotional Girl | Terri Clark |
| — | 10 | Girl Out of the Ordinary | Beverley Mahood |
| 48 | 7 | God Bless the Child | Shania Twain |
| — | 11 | Heaven Help Her Heart | Jason McCoy |
| — | 7 | I Give You My Word | George Fox |
| 39 | 1 | I Meant to Do That | Paul Brandt |
| — | 1 | I'm Feeling Kind of Lucky Tonight | Charlie Major |
| — | 20 | Indian Woman | Montgomery Steele |
| 49 | 16 | Just the Same | Terri Clark |
| — | 3 | Let It Rain | Shirley Myers |
| 45 | 1 | A Little in Love | Paul Brandt |
| — | 1 | Little Ol' Kisses | Julian Austin |
| — | 12 | A Little Thing Called Love | Beverley Mahood |
| — | 15 | Lonely Gypsy Wind | Farmer's Daughter |
| 1 | 1 | Love Gets Me Every Time | Shania Twain |
| — | 19 | Lying Here with You | Thomas Wade & Wayward |
| — | 17 | The Night the Barn Burned Down | George Fox |
| — | 10 | Now That I'm On My Own | Farmer's Daughter |
| — | 4 | One Way Track | Prairie Oyster |
| — | 15 | The Real Thing | Rick Tippe |
| — | 12 | She Won't Be Lonely Long | Prairie Oyster |
| — | 6 | She's Getting Serious | Thomas Wade & Wayward |
| — | 10 | She's Tough | Duane Steele |
| — | 20 | Slow Turning | Sean Hogan |
| — | 4 | Somewhere Inside | Chris Cummings |
| 38 | 1 | Take It from Me | Paul Brandt |
| — | 9 | Tell the Girl | Duane Steele |
| — | 8 | This Crazy Heart of Mine | Charlie Major |
| — | 19 | Tonight There's a Blue Moon | Prairie Oyster |
| — | 4 | What Love Looks Like | Michelle Wright |
| — | 19 | What's It Gonna Take | Denise Murray |
| — | 19 | Wild Rose | Sean Hogan |
| — | 8 | You Said | Farmer's Daughter |

## Top new album releases

| US | CAN | Album | Artist | Record Label |
| 45 | 8 | An Intimate Evening with Anne Murray | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| 24 | | Back to You | Anita Cochran | Warner Bros. |
| 23 | 31 | Be Good at It | Neal McCoy | Atlantic |
| 23 | 11 | The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover to Cover | Billy Ray Cyrus | Mercury Nashville |
| 4 | 3 | The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits | Collin Raye | Epic |
| 8 | | The Best of John Denver Live | John Denver | Legacy |
| 7 | 26 | Big Time | Trace Adkins | Capitol Nashville |
| 24 | | Blink of an Eye | Ricochet | Columbia |
| | 1 | Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) | Bob Carlisle | DMG |
| 1 | 1 | Carrying Your Love with Me | George Strait | MCA Nashville |
| 16 | | A Celebration of Life/The Last Recordings | John Denver | River North |
| | 4 | CMT Canada '97 | Various Artists | BMG |
| 4 | 6 | The Coast Is Clear | Tracy Lawrence | Atlantic |
| 9 | 8 | Collection | Wynonna Judd | Curb/MCA Nashville |
| 1 | 1 | Come On Over | Shania Twain | Mercury/PolyGram |
| 15 | 11 | Complicated | Tanya Tucker | Capitol Nashville |
| 12 | | A Country Superstar Christmas | Various Artists | Hip-O |
| 16 | 28 | Crazy Nights | Lonestar | BNA |
| 5 | 2 | Dancin' on the Boulevard | Alabama | RCA Nashville |
| 8 | | Dream Walkin' | Toby Keith | Mercury Nashville |
| | 11 | Everything's Alright | Charlie Major | ViK. |
| 1 | 1 | Everywhere | Tim McGraw | Curb |
| 4 | 7 | Evolution | Martina McBride | RCA Nashville |
| | 19 | The Gift | Jim Brickman | Windham Hill |
| | 10 | Greatest Country Love Songs | Various Artists | MCA |
| 8 | | Greatest Hits | Diamond Rio | Arista Nashville |
| 5 | | Greatest Hits | Neal McCoy | Atlantic |
| 5 | 11 | Greatest Hits | John Michael Montgomery | Atlantic |
| 6 | | Greatest Hits | Pam Tillis | Arista Nashville |
| 17 | | Greatest Hits… and Then Some | Aaron Tippin | RCA Nashville |
| 2 | 1 | The Greatest Hits Collection | Brooks & Dunn | Arista Nashville |
| 5 | | Here's Your Sign | Bill Engvall | Warner Bros. |
| 24 | | A Holiday Album to Benefit St. Jude | Various Artists | BNA |
| 10 | | I Will Stand | Kenny Chesney | BNA |
| 12 | 12 | If I Don't Stay the Night | Mindy McCready | BNA |
| 22 | 32 | Just Between You and Me | The Kinleys | Epic |
| | 11 | Kickin' Country 4 | Various Artists | Sony |
| 5 | 9 | Labor of Love | Sammy Kershaw | Mercury/PolyGram |
| | 1 | Leahy | Leahy | Virgin |
| 9 | | Lee Ann Womack | Lee Ann Womack | Decca Nashville |
| 25 | 23 | Let Me In | Chely Wright | MCA Nashville |
| 8 | 10 | Lila | Lila McCann | Asylum |
| 9 | 31 | Long Stretch of Lonesome | Patty Loveless | Epic |
| 8 | | Love & Gravity | BlackHawk | Arista Nashville |
| 15 | | Love Travels | Kathy Mattea | Mercury/PolyGram |
| 17 | 13 | Michael Peterson | Michael Peterson | Reprise |
| | 1 | New Country 4 | Various Artists | Warner |
| 4 | 5 | Nothin' but the Taillights | Clint Black | RCA Nashville |
| 15 | | One of the Fortunate Few | Delbert McClinton | Rising Tide |
| 5 | 17 | The Other Side | Wynonna Judd | Curb/Universal |
| 50 | 1 | Outside the Frame | Paul Brandt | Reprise |
| | 17 | Playin' for Keeps | Jason McCoy | Universal |
| 7 | 15 | The Right Place | Bryan White | Asylum |
| 25 | | Roots and Wings | James Bonamy | Epic |
| 4 | 7 | Rumor Has It | Clay Walker | Giant |
| 1 | 1 | Sevens | Garth Brooks | Capitol Nashville |
| 9 | | Shakin' Things Up | Lorrie Morgan | BNA |
| 8 | | Six Days on the Road | Sawyer Brown | Curb |
| 4 | | So Long So Wrong | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Rounder |
| 1 | 1 | (Songbook) A Collection of Hits | Trisha Yearwood | MCA Nashville |
| 22 | 16 | Stone Country: Songs of the Rolling Stones | Various Artists | Tommy Boy |
| 48 | 22 | Sunday Morning to Saturday Night | Matraca Berg | Rising Tide |
| 19 | | Takin' the Country Back | John Anderson | Mercury Nashville |
| 25 | | Thank God for Believers | Mark Chesnutt | Decca Nashville |
| | 1 | Tremolo | Blue Rodeo | Warner |
| 1 | 1 | Unchained Melody: The Early Years | LeAnn Rimes | Curb |
| 8 | 8 | Under the Covers | Dwight Yoakam | Reprise |
| | 9 | What My Heart Already Knows | Julian Austin | ViK. |
| 1 | 1 | You Light up My Life: Inspirational Songs | LeAnn Rimes | Curb |

### Other top albums

| US | CAN | Album | Artist | Record Label |
| 26 | | Across My Heart | Kenny Rogers | Magnatone |
| 40 | | Amazing Grace 2 – A Country Salute to Gospel | Various Artists | Sparrow |
| 75 | | Annabelle's Wish Soundtrack | Various Artists | Rising Tide |
| 45 | | The Best of Country | Various Artists | Madacy |
| 29 | | The Best of Roy Orbison | Roy Orbison | Virgin |
| 33 | | Big House | Big House | MCA Nashville |
| 56 | | Billy Yates | Billy Yates | Almo Sounds |
| 53 | | Bitter Sweet | Kim Richey | Mercury/PolyGram |
| 45 | | Bluegrass Rules! | Ricky Skaggs | Rounder |
| 75 | | Born Country | Alabama | BMG |
| 69 | | The Buffalo Club | The Buffalo Club | Rising Tide |
| 74 | | Burnin' Daylight | Burnin' Daylight | Curb |
| 39 | | Butterfly Kisses | Jeff Carson | Curb |
| 32 | | Come On Christmas | Dwight Yoakam | Reprise |
| 75 | | Country Lovin' Songs from the Heart | Various Artists | Rhino |
| 33 | | The Country Roads Collection | John Denver | RCA |
| 44 | | Cowboy Up – The Official PRCA Rodeo Album | Various Artists | Edel America |
| 75 | | Elvis Greatest Jukebox Hits | Elvis Presley | RCA |
| 53 | | Every Night's a Saturday Night | Lee Roy Parnell | Arista Nashville |
| 47 | | Gospel Super Hits Amazing Grace | Various Artists | Epic |
| 74 | | The Girl Next Door | Crystal Bernard | River North |
| 42 | | Hallelujah, He Is Born | Sawyer Brown | Curb |
| 60 | | Hill Country Christmas | Willie Nelson & Bobbie Nelson | Finer Arts |
| 75 | | Hits | Johnny Cash | Legacy |
| 60 | | Hopechest | Stephanie Bentley | Epic |
| 51 | | Hot Country '97 | Various Artists | K-Tel |
| 39 | | How Big a Boy Are Ya? | Roy D. Mercer | Capitol Nashville |
| 43 | | How Big a Boy Are Ya? Volume 2 | Roy D. Mercer | Capitol Nashville |
| 31 | | How Big a Boy Are Ya? Volume 3 | Roy D. Mercer | Capitol Nashville |
| 53 | | I'd Be with You | Kippi Brannon | Curb |
| 50 | | It's on the House | Emilio Navaira | Capitol Nashville |
| 47 | | Little Texas | Little Texas | Warner Bros. |
| 26 | | Live | Chris LeDoux | Capitol Nashville |
| 32 | | Live at the Cimarron Ballroom | Patsy Cline | MCA Nashville |
| 75 | | Merry Texas Christmas Y'all | Asleep at the Wheel | High Street |
| 31 | | Peace in the Valley | Various Artists | Arista Nashville |
| 69 | | Ray Stevens Christmas: Through a Different Window | Ray Stevens | MCA Nashville |
| 31 | | The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers – A Tribute | Various Artists | Columbia |
| 47 | | Tammy Graham | Tammy Graham | Career |
| 44 | 36 | The Truth | Brady Seals | Reprise |
| 56 | | Three Chords and the Truth | Sara Evans | RCA Nashville |
| 33 | | Twice Upon a Time | Joe Diffie | Epic |
| 39 | | We Can't All Be Angels | David Lee Murphy | MCA Nashville |
| 38 | | Whatever Comes First | Sons of the Desert | Epic |
| 41 | | Words | Sherrié Austin | Arista Nashville |

## Births

* October 9 – Megan Moroney, singer of the 2020s ("Tennessee Orange").

## Deaths

* January 8 – Smiley Bates, 59, Canadian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (Cancer).
* January 21 — Colonel Tom Parker, 87, manager of prolific country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow, comedian Minnie Pearl
* June 19 — Bobby Helms, 62, singer who enjoyed his peak popularity in 1957; best known for "Jingle Bell Rock."
* August 16 – Donn Reynolds, 76, singer-songwriter and country yodeler; established 2 yodeling world records.
* October 12 — John Denver, 53, country crossover artist of the 1970s; also a singer and songwriter (plane crash)
* December 21 — Amie Comeaux, 21, country singer from Louisiana (car accident)
* December 31 — Floyd Cramer, 64, prolific session pianist (lung cancer)

## Hall of Fame inductees
### Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Josh Graves

### Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Harlan Howard (1927–2002)
* Brenda Lee (born 1944)
* Cindy Walker (1915–2006)

### Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Family Brown
* Sam Sniderman

## Major awards
### Grammy Awards

* Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "How Do I Live", Trisha Yearwood
* Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "Pretty Little Adriana", Vince Gill
* Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Looking In the Eyes of Love", Alison Krauss & Union Station
* Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "In Another's Eyes", Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood
* Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Little Liza Jane", Alison Krauss & Union Station
* Best Country Song — "Butterfly Kisses", Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas
* Best Country Album — Unchained, Johnny Cash
* Best Bluegrass Album — So Long So Wrong, Alison Krauss & Union Station

### Juno Awards

* Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Paul Brandt
* Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Shania Twain
* Country Group or Duo of the Year — Farmer's Daughter

### Academy of Country Music

* Entertainer of the Year — Garth Brooks
* Song of the Year — "It's Your Love," Stephony Smith
* Single of the Year — "It's Your Love," Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
* Album of the Year — Carrying Your Love with Me, George Strait
* Top Male Vocalist — George Strait
* Top Female Vocalist — Trisha Yearwood
* Top Vocal Duo or Group — Brooks & Dunn
* Top New Male Vocalist — Kenny Chesney
* Top New Female Vocalist — Lee Ann Womack
* Top New Vocal Duo or Group — The Kinleys
* Video of the Year — "It's Your Love", Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Director: Sherman Halsey)
* Vocal Event of the Year — "It's Your Love", Tim McGraw with Faith Hill

### ARIA Awards

(presented in Sydney on September 22, 1997)
* Best Country Album - The Road Less Travelled (Graeme Connors)

### Canadian Country Music Association

* CMT Maple Leaf Foods Fans' Choice Award — Terri Clark
* Male Artist of the Year — Paul Brandt
* Female Artist of the Year — Terri Clark
* Group or Duo of the Year — Farmer's Daughter
* SOCAN Song of the Year — "I Do", Paul Brandt
* Single of the Year — "I Do", Paul Brandt
* Album of the Year — Just the Same, Terri Clark
* Top Selling Album — The Woman in Me, Shania Twain
* Video of the Year — "I Do", Paul Brandt
* Wrangler Rising Star Award — Julian Austin
* Vocal Collaboration of the Year — "Two Names on an Overpass", Duane Steele and Lisa Brokop

### Country Music Association

* Entertainer of the Year — Garth Brooks
* Song of the Year — "Strawberry Wine", Matraca Berg and Gary Harrison
* Single of the Year — "Strawberry Wine", Deana Carter
* Album of the Year — Carrying Your Love with Me, George Strait
* Male Vocalist of the Year — George Strait
* Female Vocalist of the Year — Trisha Yearwood
* Vocal Duo of the Year — Brooks & Dunn
* Vocal Group of the Year — Diamond Rio
* Horizon Award — LeAnn Rimes
* Music Video of the Year — "455 Rocket", Kathy Mattea (Director: Steven Goldmann)
* Vocal Event of the Year — "It's Your Love", Tim McGraw (featuring Faith Hill)
* Musician of the Year — Brent Mason

### RPM Big Country Awards

* Canadian Country Artist of the Year — Paul Brandt
* Best Country Album — Calm Before the Storm, Paul Brandt
* Best Country Single — "My Heart Has a History", Paul Brandt
* Male Artist of the Year — Paul Brandt
* Female Artist of the Year — Terri Clark
* Group of the Year — Farmer's Daughter
* Outstanding New Artist — Chris Cummings
* Canadian Country Video — "My Heart Has a History", Paul Brandt
* Top Country Composer(s) — Shania Twain