2026 in country music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of notable events in country music that will take place in 2026.
| List of years in country music |
|---|
| (table) |
| By location |
|---|
| By genre |
| By topic |
- January 13 – "Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton becomes the first country song in history to be double diamond certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1]
- January 14 – Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association announces that she will retire at the end of 2026 after twelve years in the role.[2]
- January 16 – Suzy Bogguss is inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Reba McEntire, who was also celebrating her 40th anniversary as an Opry member that night. Bogguss was invited on October 11, 2025 by Kathy Mattea, Terri Clark, and Trisha Yearwood.[3]
- January 17 – Blake Shelton scores his 30th number one single on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with "Stay Country or Die Tryin'", placing him second to Kenny Chesney's 33 for the most number one singles on that chart since its inception in 1990.[4]
- January 24 – Paul Brandt makes a post on X using lyrics from his 2005 single "Alberta Bound" that leads to a controversy, with some viewing it as an endorsement of the Alberta separatism movement[5]
- February 9 – "Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley becomes the first song by a female artist (and the fourth song overall) to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and all-genre Billboard Hot 100 charts simultaneously.[6]
- March 2 – Megan Moroney and Ella Langley make history as the first pair of women in country music to top the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 simultaneously. Langley's "Choosin' Texas" spent a second week at number one on the Hot 100, while Moroney's Cloud 9 debuted in the top spot on the albums chart.[7]
- March 10 – Jelly Roll is inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Lainey Wilson. He was invited by Craig Morgan on December 10, 2025.[8]
- March 23 – "Choosin' Texas" becomes the first song by a female artist that topped the Hot Country Songs chart to also spend four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[9]
- April 11 – Justin Moore's "Time's Ticking" reaches number one on the Country Airplay chart in its 67th chart week, setting a new record for the slowest ascent to the top of that chart.[10]
- April 24–26 – The 2026 edition of Stagecoach Festival takes place at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, featuring headline performances from Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Post Malone.[11]
- April 26 – Maddie & Tae play their final show together. The duo announced their plans to split in December 2025, citing Taylor Kerr's wish to spend more time with her family. Maddie Font will continue on as a solo artist.[12]
Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, or Canada Country charts in 2026:
Singles released by American and Australian artists
Singles released by Canadian artists
| Songs | Airplay | Canada | Single | Artist | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 7 | "Drink Around" | Dean Brody | [41] |
| — | 17 | 10 | "Golden Child" | Meghan Patrick | [42] |
| — | — | 6 | "Going Somewhere" | Tim Hicks | [43] |
| 27 | 9 | 1 | "Hate How You Look" | Josh Ross | [44] |
| — | — | 8 | "Hometown Heroes" | The Reklaws and Dean Brody |
[45] |
| — | — | 9 | "Hurtin' Songs" | Brett Kissel and Dierks Bentley |
[46] |
| — | — | 7 | "I'm Leavin' You" | High Valley | [47] |
| — | — | 19 | "Just Being Me" | Morgan Griffiths | [48] |
| — | — | 7 | "Nobody Roads" | Josh Stumpf | [49] |
| — | — | 12 | "Scared of Getting Sober" | Josh Ross | [44] |
| — | — | 9 | "Safe Place to Break" | Meghan Patrick | [42] |
| — | — | 18 | "Shooting Star" | Sacha and Restless Road |
[50] |
| — | — | 2 | "Somebody I Know" | James Barker Band | [51] |
| — | — | 4 | "Something Else" | Brock Phillips | [52] |
| — | — | 8 | "Taillight This Town" | Owen Riegling | [53] |
| — | 17 | "Thought About You" | Nate Haller | [54] |
Top new album releases
| US | Album | Artist | Record label | Release date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | With Heaven on Top | Zach Bryan | Belting Bronco/Warner | January 9 | [55] |
| 1 | Cloud 9 | Megan Moroney | Sony/Columbia | February 20 | [56] |
| 1 | The Way I Am | Luke Combs | Columbia Nashville | March 20 | [57] |
| 1 | Dandelion | Ella Langley | Columbia Nashville | April 10 | [58] |
| Songs About Us | Jason Aldean | Broken Bow | April 24 | [59] |
Other top albums
| US | Album | Artist | Record label | Release date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Heavy on the Soul | Ty Myers | RECORDS | March 27 | [60] |
| 12 | Broken View | Sam Barber | Atlantic Outpost | April 3 | [61] |
| 46 | Age of the Ram | Charley Crockett | Lone Star Rider / Island | April 3 | [62] |
| Deep Water | Cameron Whitcomb | Atlantic | April 17 | [63] | |
| In the Feeling | Owen Riegling | Universal Canada / Big Loud | April 17 | [64] |
Upcoming
| Album | Artist | Record label | Release date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle of Nowhere | Kacey Musgraves | Lost Highway | May 1 | [65] |
| Deep Blue | Ernest | Big Loud | [66] | |
| Wild | Ashley McBryde | Warner Music Nashville | May 8 | [67] |
| Going Somewhere | Tim Hicks | Open Road | May 22 | |
| True South | Rodney Atkins | Curb Records | May 29 | [68] |
| Dream Chaser | Willie Nelson | Legacy Recordings | [69] | |
| Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes | Don Williams | Craft Recordings | [70] | |
| Sunriser | Lee Brice | Curb Records | June 5 | |
| Flow State | Keith Urban | MCA Records | June 12 | [71] |
| Banks of the Trinity | Cody Johnson | Warner Music Nashville | June 26 | [72] |
| Bonfire | The Shires | BMG | July 3 | [73] |
| The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales | Shaboozey | American Dogwood/Empire | July 31 | [74] |
| Ain't That Bad | Matt Lang | Independent | October 23 | [75] |