The Academy of Country Music started awarding their Song of the Year award at their 1967 ceremony, where Johnny Paycheck was the first recipient for "Apartment #9". Since then multiple winners have included Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, John Michael Montgomery, and Tim McGraw.
The most recent winner was Sugarland for their song "Stay".
ACM Song of the Year Winners
| 2008 Sugarland ("Stay") |    |
| Jennifer Nettles | |
| Other Nominees: Kenny Chesney (Don't Blink); Big & Rich (Lost In This Moment); Emerson Drive (Moments); Rodney Atkins (Watching You) | |
| 2007 George Strait ("Give It Away") | |
| Bill Anderson; Buddy Cannon; Jamey Johnson | |
| Other Nominees: Amarillo Sky (Jason Aldean); Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood); If You're Going Through Hell (Rodney Atkins); Would You Go With Me (Josh Turner) | |
| 2006 Brooks & Dunn ("Believe") | |
| Ronnie Dunn; Craig Wiseman | |
| Other Nominees: Baby Girl (Sugarland); Jesus Take the Wheel (Carrie Underwood); Skin Sarabeth (Rascal Flatts); When I Get Where I'm Going (Brad Paisley & Dolly Parton) | |
| 2005 Tim McGraw ("Live Like You Were Dying") |  |
| Craig Wiseman; Tim Nichols | |
| Other Nominees: American Soldier (Toby Keith); Bless the Broken Road (Rascal Flatts); I May Hate Myself In the Morning (Lee Ann Womack); Whiskey Lullaby (Brad Paisley) | |
| 2004 Randy Travis ("Three Wooden Crosses") | |
| Douglas Johnson; Kim Williams | |
| Other Nominees: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett); Red Dirt Road (Brooks & Dunn); Remember When (Alan Jackson); There Goes My Life (Kenny Chesney) | |
| 2003 Rascal Flatts ("I'm Movin' On") | |
| D Vincent Williams; Phillip White | |
| Other Nominees: A Lot of Things Different (Kenny Chesney); Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (Toby Keith); Drive For Daddy Gene (Alan Jackson); Forgive (Rebecca Lynn Howard) | |
| 2002 Alan Jackson ("Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)") | |
| Other Nominees: Angels In Waiting (Tammy Cochran); I Wanna Talk About Me (Toby Keith); One More Day (Diamond Rio); Only In America (Brooks & Dunn) | |
| 2001 Lee Ann Womack ("I Hope You Dance") | |
| Mark D Sanders; Tia Sillers | |
| Other Nominees: How Do You Like Me Now?! (Toby Keith); One Voice (Billy Gilman); The Little Girl (John Michael Montgomery); We Danced (Brad Paisley) | |
| 2000 Lonestar ("Amazed") |  |
| Aimee Mayo; Chris Lindsey; Marv Green | |
| Other Nominees: Breathe (Faith Hill); Choices (George Jones); He Didn't Have To Be (Brad Paisley); Please Remember Me (Tim McGraw) | |
| 1999 Steve Wariner ("Holes In the Floor Of Heaven") | |
| Billy Kirsch; Steve Wariner | |
| Other Nominees: A Broken Wing (Martina McBride); Don't Laugh At Me (Mark Wills); Husbands and Wives (Brooks & Dunn); This Kiss (Faith Hill) | |
| 1998 Tim McGraw ("It's Your Love") | |
| & Faith Hill - Stephony Smith | |
| Other Nominees: All the Good Ones Are Gone (Pam Tillis); How Do I Live (LeAnn Rimes); Something That We Do (Clint Black); The Fool (Lee Ann Womack) | |
| 1997 LeAnn Rimes ("Blue") | |
| Bill Mack | |
| Other Nominees: Carried Away (George Strait); My Maria (Brooks & Dunn); Strawberry Wine (Deana Carter); Time Marches On (Tracy Lawrence) | |
| 1996 Tracy Byrd ("The Keeper of the Stars") | |
| Danny Mayo; Dickey Lee; Karen Staley | |
| Other Nominees: I Like It I Love It (Tim McGraw); Standing On the Edge of Goodbye (John Berry); You Don't Even Know Who I Am (Patty Loveless); You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone (Brooks & Dunn) | |
| 1995 John Michael Montgomery ("I Swear") | |
| Frank J Myers; Gary Baker | |
| Other Nominees: Don't Take the Girl (Tim McGraw); How Can I Help You Say Goodbye (Patty Loveless); Livin' On Love (Alan Jackson); When Love Finds You (Vince Gill) | |
| 1994 John Michael Montgomery ("I Love the Way You Love Me") | |
| Chuck Cannon; Victoria Shaw | |
| Other Nominees: Can I Trust You With My Heart (Travis Tritt); Chattahoochee (Alan Jackson); Does He Love You (Reba McEntire); I Don't Call Him Daddy (Doug Supernaw) | |
| 1993 Vince Gill ("I Still Believe In You") | |
| John Jarvis; Vince Gill | |
| Other Nominees: Boot Scootin' Boogie (Brooks & Dunn); I Feel Lucky (Mary Chapin Carpenter); Something In Red (Lorrie Morgan); Two Sparrows In A Hurricane (Tanya Tucker) | |
| 1992 Billy Dean ("Somewhere In My Broken Heart") | |
| Billy Dean; Richard Leigh | |
| Other Nominees: Don't Rock the Jukebox (Alan Jackson); Down at the Twist and Shout (Mary Chapin Carpenter); Here's A Quarter (Travis Tritt); Pocket Full Of Gold (Vince Gill) | |
| 1991 Garth Brooks ("The Dance") | |
| Tony Arata | |
| Other Nominees: Friends In Low Places (Garth Brooks); Here In the Real World (Alan Jackson); Jukebox In My Mind (Alabama); When I Call Your Name (Vince Gill) | |
| 1990 Kathy Mattea ("Where've You Been") | |
| Don Henry; Jon Vezner | |
| Other Nominees: After All This Time (Rodney Crowell); If Tomorrow Never Comes (Garth Brooks); Killin' Time (Clint Black); There's A Tear In My Beer (Hank Williams Jr) | |
| 1989 Kathy Mattea ("Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses") | |
| Gene Nelson; Paul Nelson | |
| Other Nominees: Don't Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley); I Know How He Feels (Reba McEntire); Set 'Em Up Joe (Vern Gosdin); Strong Enough To Bend (Tanya Tucker) | |
| 1988 Randy Travis ("Forever And Ever Amen") | |
| Don Schlitz; Paul Overstreet | |
| Other Nominees: 80s Ladies (KT Oslin); Born To Boogie (Hank Williams Jr); Ocean Front Property (George Strait); Somebody Lied (Ricky Van Shelton) | |
| 1987 Randy Travis ("On the Other Hand") | |
| Don Schlitz; Paul Overstreet | |
| Other Nominees: Everything That Glitters (Dan Seals); Grandpa (The Judds); Living In the Promiseland (Willie Nelson); Whoever's In New England (Reba McEntire) | |
| 1986 Ronnie Milsap ("Lost In the Fifties (In the Still of the Night)") | |
| Fred Parris; Mike Reid; Troy Seals | |
| Other Nominees: Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On (Mel McDaniel); I'll Never Stop Loving You (Gary Morris); Seven Spanish Angels (Ray Charles); Some Fools Never Learn (Steve Wariner) | |
| 1985 The Judds ("Why Not Me") | |
| Brent Maher; Harlan Howard; Sonny Trockmorton | |
| Other Nominees: I've Been Around Enough To Know (John Schneider); Second Hand Heart (Gary Morris); To All the Girls I've Loved Before (Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson); When We Make Love (Alabama) | |
| 1984 Gary Morris ("The Wind Beneath My Wings") | |
| Jeff Silbar; Larry Henley | |
| Other Nominees: I Always Get Lucky With You (George Jones); IOU (Lee Greenwood); Lady Down On Love (Alabama); Swingin' (John Anderson) | |
| 1983 Merle Haggard ("Are the Good Times Really Over") |  |
| Other Nominees: I'm Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home (David Frizzell); Nobody (Sylvia); Ring On Her Finger Time On Her Hands (Lee Greenwood); She Got the Goldmine I Got the Shaft (Jerry Reed) | |
| 1982 David Frizzell ("You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma") | |
| & Shelly West - Larry Collins; Sandy Pinkard | |
| Other Nominees: Feels So Right (Alabama); It Turns Me Inside Out (Lee Greenwood); Love in the First Degree (Alabama); My Favorite Memory (Merle Haggard) | |
| 1981 George Jones ("He Stopped Loving Her Today") | |
| Bobby Bradock; Curly Putman | |
| Other Nominees: I Believe In You (Don Williams); Lady (Kenny Rogers); Looking For Love (Johnny Lee); Nine To Five (Dolly Parton) | |
| 1980 Moe Bandy ("It's A Cheatin' Situation") | |
| Other Nominees: All the Gold In California (Larry Gatlin); Last Cheaters Waltz (TG Sheppard); She Believes In Me (Kenny Rogers); You're the Only One (Dolly Parton) | |
| 1979 Anne Murray ("You Needed Me") | |
| Other Nominees: Burgers and Fries (Charley Pride); I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall (Merle Haggard); Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (Waylon and Willie); The Gambler (Kenny Rogers) | |
| 1978 Kenny Rogers ("Lucille") | |
| Other Nominees: Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (Crystal Gayle); From Graceland To the Promise Land (Merle Haggard); Luckenback Texas (Waylon Jennings); You Light Up My Life (Debbie Boone) | |
| 1977 Mickey Gilley ("Don't the Girls Get Prettier At Closing Time") | |
| Other Nominees: Bring It On Home (Mickey Gilley); El Paso City (Marty Robbins); Somebody Somewhere (Loretta Lynn); Teddy Bear (Red Sovine) | |
| 1976 Glen Campbell ("Rhinestone Cowboy") | |
| Other Nominees: Before the Next Teardrop Falls (Freddie Fender); Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (Willie Nelson); I'm Not Lisa (Jessie Colter); When the Tingle Becomes A Chill (Loretta Lynn) | |
| 1975 Cal Smith ("Country Bumpkin") | |
| Other Nominees: Back Home Again (John Denver); I Can Help (Billy Swan); One Day At A Time (Kris Kristofferson); Things Aren't Funny Anymore (Merle Haggard) | |
| 1974 Charlie Rich ("Behind Closed Doors") | |
| Kenny O'Dell | |
| Other Nominees: If We Make It Through December (Merle Haggard); Most Beautiful Girl (Charlie Rich); Old Dogs Children & Watermelon Wine (Tom T Hall); Why Me (Kris Kristofferson) | |
| 1973 Donna Fargo ("Happiest Girl") | |
| Other Nominees: Bless Your Heart (Freddie Hart); Four In the Morning (Jerry Chestnut); Funny Face (Donna Fargo); To Get To You (Jean Chapel) | |
| 1972 Freddie Hart ("Easy Lovin'") | |
| Other Nominees: Carolyn (Merle Haggard); Kiss An Angel Good Morning (Charley Pride); Lead Me On (Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn); Loving Her Was Easier (Roger Miller) | |
| 1971 Ray Price ("For the Good Times") | |
| Other Nominees: Fightin' Side Of Me (Merle Haggard); Help Me Make It Through the Night (Sammi Smith); Rose Garden (Lynn Anderson); Sunday Morning Comin' Down (Johnny Cash) | |
| 1970 Merle Haggard ("Okie From Muskogee") | |
| Other Nominees: A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash); Games People Play (Freddy Weller); Make It Rain (Billy Mize); Try A Little Kindness (Glen Campbell) | |
| 1969 Jim Webb ("Wichita Lineman") | |
| Other Nominees: Bonnie and Clyde (Merle Haggard); I Take A Lot Of Pride (Merle Haggard); Mama Tried (Merle Haggard); Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line (Ivy J Bryant) | |
| 1968 Dale Noe ("It's Such A Pretty World Today") | |
| Other Nominees: Branded Man (Merle Haggard); I Threw Away The Rose (Merle Haggard); Ode To Billy Joe (Bobbie Gentry); Walkin' In The Sunshine (Roger Miller) | |
| 1967 Johnny Paycheck ("Apartment #9") |  |
| Other Nominees: Husbands and Wives (Roger Miller); Swinging Doors (Merle Haggard); Terrible Tangled Web (Billy Mize); The Bottle Let Me Down (Merle Haggard); Waitin' In Your Welfare Line (Buck Owens) | |
Music Video for 'Believe' by Brooks & Dunn
Email Dan@WhoWonWhen.com with suggestions for new lists, or to report spelling or other errors.
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