# Academy of Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year

The Academy of Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year is awarded to the top female artist of the past year. It is based on individual musical performance on a solo Country single or album release, as well as the overall contribution to Country Music.The following is the list of winners, with the year representing the nominated work. This Award goes to the artist. This award was one of the original awards given at the first ceremony in 1966. The first recipient was Bonnie Owens. The most recent recipient is Lainey Wilson.

## Recipients

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 2024 | Lainey Wilson | Kelsea Ballerini Ashley McBryde Megan Moroney Kacey Musgraves |
| 2023 | Lainey Wilson | Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Ashley McBryde Carly Pearce |
| 2022 | Carly Pearce | Gabby Barrett Miranda Lambert Ashley McBryde Maren Morris |
| 2021 | Maren Morris | Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Ashley McBryde Carly Pearce |
| 2020 | Maren Morris | Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood |
| 2019 | Kacey Musgraves | Miranda Lambert Ashley McBryde Maren Morris Carrie Underwood |
| 2018 | Miranda Lambert | Kelsea Ballerini Maren Morris Reba McEntire Carrie Underwood |
| 2017 | Miranda Lambert | Kelsea Ballerini Maren Morris Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood |
| 2016 | Miranda Lambert | Kelsea Ballerini Jana Kramer Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood |
| 2015 | Miranda Lambert | Brandy Clark Martina McBride Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood |
| 2014 | Miranda Lambert | Sheryl Crow Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift |
| 2013 | Miranda Lambert | Martina McBride Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift |
| 2012 | Miranda Lambert | Sara Evans Martina McBride Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift |
| 2011 | Miranda Lambert | Reba McEntire Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift Lee Ann Womack |
| 2010 | Miranda Lambert | Reba McEntire Carrie Underwood Taylor Swift Lee Ann Womack |
| 2009 | Carrie Underwood | Miranda Lambert Heidi Newfield Taylor Swift Lee Ann Womack |
| 2008 | Carrie Underwood | Martina McBride Miranda Lambert LeAnn Rimes Taylor Swift |
| 2007 | Carrie Underwood | Sara Evans Faith Hill Martina McBride Miranda Lambert |
| 2006 | Sara Evans | Martina McBride Carrie Underwood Gretchen Wilson Lee Ann Womack |
| 2005 | Gretchen Wilson | Terri Clark Sara Evans Martina McBride Lee Ann Womack |
| 2004 | Martina McBride | Terri Clark Sara Evans Patty Loveless Shania Twain |
| 2003 | Martina McBride | Terri Clark Faith Hill Shania Twain Lee Ann Womack |
| 2002 | Martina McBride | Faith Hill Sara Evans Lee Ann Womack Trisha Yearwood |
| 2001 | Faith Hill | Sara Evans Martina McBride Jo Dee Messina Lee Ann Womack |
| 2000 | Faith Hill | Martina McBride Jo Dee Messina Trisha Yearwood Chely Wright |
| 1999 | Faith Hill | Martina McBride Jo Dee Messina Shania Twain Trisha Yearwood |
| 1998 | Trisha Yearwood | Deana Carter Martina McBride Patty Loveless LeAnn Rimes |
| 1997 | Patty Loveless | Reba McEntire LeAnn Rimes Shania Twain Trisha Yearwood |
| 1996 | Patty Loveless | Faith Hill Reba McEntire Pam Tillis Shania Twain |
| 1995 | Reba McEntire | Faith Hill Mary Chapin Carpenter Patty Loveless Pam Tillis |
| 1994 | Wynonna | Mary Chapin Carpenter Reba McEntire Pam Tillis Tanya Tucker |
| 1993 | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Lorrie Morgan Pam Tillis Tanya Tucker Wynonna |
| 1992 | Reba McEntire | Mary Chapin Carpenter Lorrie Morgan Pam Tillis Tanya Tucker |
| 1991 | Reba McEntire | Kathy Mattea Mary Chapin Carpenter Patty Loveless Tanya Tucker |
| 1990 | Kathy Mattea | K.D. Lang Reba McEntire Dolly Parton Tanya Tucker |
| 1989 | K.T. Oslin | Rosanne Cash Kathy Mattea Reba McEntire Tanya Tucker |
| 1988 | Reba McEntire | Rosanne Cash Crystal Gayle Kathy Mattea Tanya Tucker |
| 1987 | Reba McEntire | Janie Fricke Crystal Gayle Juice Newton Marie Osmond |
| 1986 | Reba McEntire | Rosanne Cash Crystal Gayle Anne Murray Juice Newton |
| 1985 | Reba McEntire | Janie Fricke Emmylou Harris Anne Murray Dolly Parton |
| 1984 | Janie Fricke | Crystal Gayle Barbara Mandrell Reba McEntire Sylvia |
| 1983 | Sylvia | Rosanne Cash Janie Fricke Barbara Mandrell Dottie West |
| 1982 | Barbara Mandrell | Rosanne Cash Lacy J. Dalto Emmylou Harris Sylvia |
| 1981 | Dolly Parton | Lacy J. Dalto Emmylou Harris Crystal Gayle Barbara Mandrell |
| 1980 | Crystal Gayle | Anne Murray Barbara Mandrell Dolly Parton Loretta Lynn |
| 1979 | Barbara Mandrell | Anne Murray Crystal Gayle Dolly Parton Loretta Lynn |
| 1978 | Crystal Gayle | Loretta Lynn Linda Ronstadt Dolly Parton Tammy Wynette |
| 1977 | Crystal Gayle | Emmylou Harris Loretta Lynn Dolly Parton Tammy Wynette |
| 1976 | Loretta Lynn | Anne Murray Linda Ronstadt Dolly Parton Tanya Tucker |
| 1975 | Loretta Lynn | Donna Fargo Anne Murray Olivia Newton-John Dolly Parton |
| 1974 | Loretta Lynn | Barbara Fairchild Donna Fargo Anne Murray Dolly Parton |
| 1973 | Donna Fargo | Loretta Lynn Anne Murray Dolly Parton Susan Raye |
| 1972 | Loretta Lynn | Lynn Anderson Anne Murray Susan Raye Linda Ronstadt |
| 1971 | Lynn Anderson | Bobbie Gentry Loretta Lynn Dolly Parton Tammy Wynette |
| 1970 | Tammy Wynette | Lynn Anderson Bobbie Gentry Judy Lynn Loretta Lynn Dolly Parton Connie Smith Cathie Taylor |
| 1969 | Cathie Taylor | Bobbie Gentry Bonnie Guitar Judy Lynn Jody Miller |
| 1968 | Lynn Anderson | Bonnie Guitar Bonnie Owens Lucille Starr Cathie Taylor |
| 1967 | Bonnie Guitar | Kay Adams Molly Bee Janie Mosby Bonnie Owens |
| 1966 | Bonnie Owens | Molly Bee Rose Lee Maphis Rose Maddox Jody Miller |

## Category records
### Wins

* Most wins — Miranda Lambert (9).
** Most wins from the 1960s — n/a.
** Most wins from the 1970s — Loretta Lynn (4).
** Most wins from the 1980s — Reba McEntire (4).
** Most wins from the 1990s — Reba McEntire (3).
** Most wins from the 2000s — Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood (3).
** Most wins from the 2010s — Miranda Lambert (9).

### Nominations

* Most nominated — Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire (16).
** Most nominated from the 1960s — Bonnie Guitar and Bonnie Owens (3).
** Most nominated from the 1970s — Loretta Lynn (10).
** Most nominated from the 1980s — Crystal Gayle and Reba McEntire (6).
** Most nominated from the 1990s — Reba McEntire (7).
** Most nominated from the 2000s — Martina McBride (9).
** Most nominated from the 2010s — Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood (10).