All-time record holders by category:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- George Strait is the artist with the most wins (5) in this category, taking home trophies in 1985, 1996, 1997, 2007 and 2008. He is also the only artist to win this award back-to-back two consecutive years.
- Tony Brownis the producer with the most wins (5) in this category, having produced the winning Album of the Year in 1993 (Vince Gill’s I Still Believe In You), 1994 (Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles), 1996 (George Strait’s Blue Clear Sky), 1997 (George Strait’s Carrying Your Love With Me) and 2007 (George Strait’s It Just Comes Natural).
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Garth Brooks is the artist with the most wins (6) in this category, winning back-to-back in 1991 and 1992, 1997 and 1998, and 2016 and 2017.
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- Miranda Lambert leads the females with the most wins (7) in this category, winning for six years consecutively from 2010 –2015, and again in 2017. Lambert is nominated again this year, and should she win, will continue her reign as most decorated Female Vocalist of the Year.
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- Vince Gill, Blake Shelton and George Strait share the record for most wins (5) in this category.
- Gill took home the award consecutively from 1991-1995.
- Shelton also had consecutive wins, 2010–2014.
- Strait won the top Male Vocalist honors in 1985–1986, and 1996–1998.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Brad Paisley leads this category with (4) wins. He took home the award in 2002 (“I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)”), 2004 (“Whiskey Lullaby”), 2007 (“Online”) and 2008 (“Waitin’ On a Woman”).
- Michael Salomon is the director with the most wins (3) in this category, having directed the winning Music Video of the Year in 1995 (The Tractor’s Baby Likes To Rock It), 2005 (Toby Keith’s As Good As I Once Was) and 2012 (Toby Keith’s Red Solo Cup).
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR (previously Vocal Event of the Year)
- Vince Gill, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban share the most wins (4) in this category.
- Gill took home the award in 1991 (“Mark O’Connor & The New Nashville Cats” with Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner), 1993 (George Jones’ “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” with Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Garth Brooks, Travis Tritt, Joe Diffie, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, T. Graham Brown, Patty Loveless and Clint Black) 1996 (“I Will Always Love You”with Dolly Parton) and 1999 (“My Kind of Woman/My Kind of Man” with Patty Loveless).
- McGraw won this category in 1997 (“It’s Your Love” with Faith Hill), 2007 (“Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with Kenny Chesney and Tracy Lawrence), 2012 (“Feel Like A Rockstar” with Kenny Chesney) and 2013 (“Highway Don’t Care” with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban).
- Paisley took home the trophy in 2001 (“Too Country” with Bill Anderson, George Jones and Buck Owens), 2004 (“Whiskey Lullaby” with Alison Krauss), 2006 (“When I Get Where I’m Going” with Dolly Parton) and 2009 (“Start A Band” with Keith Urban).
- Urban took home the award in 2009 (“Start A Band” with Brad Paisley), and consecutively 2013-2015 (Tim McGraw’s “Highway Don’t Care” with Taylor Swift; “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert; and “Raise ‘Em Up” with Eric Church).
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
- Mac McAnally leads this category with a total of (10) wins. He previously took home the award for eight years straight from 2008 –2015, and again 2017 –2018. McAnally is nominated again this year and will continue to extend his record should he take home the award.
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
- Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Willie Nelson, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack tie for the most decorated artist in this category with (2) wins each.
- Cash won this category in 1969 (“A Boy Named Sue”) and 2003 (“Hurt”).
- Jackson took home the trophy in 1993 (“Chattahoochee”) and 2002 (“Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)”).
- Lady Antebellum received this honor back-to-back in 2009 (“I Run ToYou”) and 2010 (“Need You Now”).
- Little Big Town won this category in 2012 (“Pontoon”) and 2015 (“Girl Crush”).
- Nelson took home the trophy in 1976 (“Good Hearted Woman”) and 1982 (“Always On My Mind”).
- Strait won this category in 1996 (“Check Yes Or No”) and 2008 (“I Saw God Today”).
- Womack received the honor in 2000 (“I Hope You Dance”) and 2005 (“I May Hate Myself In The Morning”).
- Tony Brown and Paul Worley share the honor of most decorated producers in this category with (4) wins each.
- Brown took home the award in 1990 (Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name”), 1996 (George Strait’s “Check Yes Or No”), 2006 (Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe”) and 2008 (George Strait’s “I Saw God Today”).
- Worley won this award in 1999 (Dixie Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces”), and then consecutively from 2009-2011 (“Lady Antebellum’s “I Run To You;” Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now;” and The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young”).
SONG OF THE YEAR
- Vince Gill leads this category with (4) wins. He took home the award for his song writing consecutively from 1991–1993 (“When I Call Your Name,” “Look At Us,” and “I Still Believe In You”) and again in 1996 (“Go Rest High On That Mountain”).
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
- Brooks & Dunn have dominated this category, winning consecutively from 1992 –1999 and 2001 –2006, making them the most decorated duo with a total of (14) wins. Brooks & Dunn are nominated again this year and should they win, will continue their lead as the most decorated Vocal Duo.
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
- The Statler Brothers hold the record for most wins in this category with (9). They took home the award consecutively from 1972–1977, then again from 1979–1980, and lastly in 1984.