This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2016.
| By location |
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| By genre |
| By topic |
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The following songs placed within the Top 20 on theHot Country Songs,Country Airplay orCanada Country charts in 2016:
| Songs | Airplay | Canada | Single | Artist | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 1 | "Autograph" | Dallas Smith | [14] |
| — | — | 10 | "Be You" | High Valley | [15] |
| — | — | 18 | "Beer Weather" | Cold Creek County | [16] |
| — | — | 17 | "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" | Meghan Patrick | [17] |
| — | — | 6 | "Bush Party" | Dean Brody | [18] |
| — | 44 | 14 | "By the Way" | Lindsay Ell | [19] |
| — | — | 3 | "Come on Down" | High Valley | [15] |
| — | — | 8 | "Cool with That" | Brett Kissel | [20] |
| — | — | 8 | "Daughters of the Sun" | George Canyon | [21] |
| — | — | 6 | "Dirt Road in 'Em" | Aaron Pritchett | [22] |
| — | — | 9 | "Down by the River" | Bobby Wills | [23] |
| — | — | 15 | "Elevator" | Jess Moskaluke | [24] |
| — | — | 8 | "Every Week's Got a Friday" | High Valley | [15] |
| — | — | 16 | "Found" | Dan Davidson | [25] |
| — | — | 12 | "Good Kinda Love" | Jojo Mason | [26] |
| — | — | 7 | "Heard You in a Song" | Gord Bamford | [27] |
| — | — | 8 | "Hearts on Fire" | Chad Brownlee | [28] |
| — | — | 16 | "I Didn't Fall in Love with Your Hair" | Brett Kissel featuringCarolyn Dawn Johnson | [20] |
| — | — | 8 | "I Got This" | George Canyon | [21] |
| — | — | 8 | "I Hate You for It" | Chad Brownlee | [28] |
| — | — | 19 | "Jealous of the Sun" | Tebey | [29] |
| — | — | 6 | "Kids with Cars" | Dallas Smith | [14] |
| — | — | 3 | "Lawn Chair Lazy" | James Barker Band | [30] |
| — | — | 4 | "Love Would Be Enough" | Dean Brody | [18] |
| — | — | 10 | "Maybe It's the Moonshine" | The Washboard Union | [31] |
| — | — | 19 | "Mixtape" | Autumn Hill | [32] |
| — | — | 7 | "Monterey" | Dean Brody | [18] |
| — | — | 5 | "One Little Kiss" | Dallas Smith | [14] |
| — | — | 6 | "Pick Me Up" | Brett Kissel | [20] |
| — | — | 9 | "Red Dress" | Jojo Mason | [26] |
| — | — | 5 | "Shot of Glory" | The Washboard Union | [31] |
| — | — | 11 | "Spotlight" | Jason Blaine | [33] |
| — | — | 7 | "Stompin' Ground" | Tim Hicks | [34] |
| — | — | 7 | "Take Me Home" | Jess Moskaluke | [24] |
| — | — | 13 | "War Paint" | Madeline Merlo | [35] |
| — | — | 10 | "Whatcha Wanna Do About It" | Madeline Merlo | [35] |
| — | — | 9 | "Won't You Be Mine" | Bobby Wills | [23] |
The following albums placed on theTop Country Albums charts in 2016:
| US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Release Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | The Album Collection | Joey + Rory | Vanguard/Sugar Hill | April 1 | |
| 3 | All Night Party | Casey Donahew | Almost Country | August 19 | |
| 1 | American Love | Jake Owen | RCA Nashville | July 29 | |
| 10 | Behind This Guitar | Mo Pitney | Curb | October 7 | |
| 8 | Big Day in a Small Town | Brandy Clark | Warner Bros. Nashville | June 10 | |
| 1 | Black | Dierks Bentley | Capitol Nashville | May 27 | |
| 7 | Boots on the Ground | Frank Foster | Lone Chief | January 15 | |
| 5 | Bury Me in Boots | The Cadillac Three | Big Machine | August 5 | |
| 1 | California Sunrise | Jon Pardi | Capitol Nashville | June 17 | |
| 9 | Call Me Old-Fashioned | Bradley Walker | Gaither Music Group | September 23 | |
| 3 | Chapter 1 (EP) | Kane Brown | RCA Nashville | March 18 | |
| 1 | Christmas Together | Garth Brooks andTrisha Yearwood | Pearl/Gwendolyn | November 11 | |
| 3 | Christmas Together /Gunslinger | Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood | Pearl/Gwendolyn | November 18 | |
| 5 | CMA Awards 50 Zinepak | Various Artists | CMA/Zinepak | October 21 | |
| 1 | Cosmic Hallelujah | Kenny Chesney | Blue Chair/Columbia | October 28 | |
| 4 | The Critics Give It 5 Stars | Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots | Black River | March 18 | |
| 4 | Detour | Cyndi Lauper | Sire | May 6 | |
| 1 | Dig Your Roots | Florida Georgia Line | BMLG | August 26 | |
| 5 | Down Home Sessions III (EP) | Cole Swindell | Warner Bros. Nashville | October 28 | |
| 4 | Down to My Last Bad Habit | Vince Gill | MCA Nashville | February 12 | |
| 2 | The Driver | Charles Kelley | Capitol Nashville | February 5 | |
| 5 | Dylan Scott | Dylan Scott | Curb | August 12 | |
| 9 | El Río | Frankie Ballard | Warner Bros. Nashville | June 10 | |
| 6 | Elvis: Way Down in the Jungle Room | Elvis Presley | RCA Legacy | August 5 | |
| 1 | Farm Tour... Here's to the Farmer (EP) | Luke Bryan | Capitol Nashville | September 23 | |
| 3 | Fighter | David Nail | MCA Nashville | July 15 | |
| 3 | Fired Up | Randy Houser | Stoney Creek | March 11 | |
| 2 | For Better, or Worse | John Prine | Oh Boy | September 30 | |
| 5 | For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price | Willie Nelson | Legacy | September 16 | |
| 4 | Full Circle | Loretta Lynn | Legacy | March 4 | |
| 9 | Girl Problems | Chris Lane | Big Loud | August 5 | |
| 2 | Glow | Brett Eldredge | Atlantic Nashville | October 28 | |
| 2 | Gotta Be Me | Cody Johnson | CoJo | August 5 | |
| 7 | The Greatest Gift of All | Rascal Flatts | Big Machine | October 21 | |
| 4 | Gunslinger | Garth Brooks | Pearl | November 25 | |
| 2 | Full Of (Even More) Cheer | Home Free | Columbia | November 11 | |
| 1 | Hero | Maren Morris | Columbia Nashville | June 3 | |
| 1 | Hymns That Are Important to Us | Joey + Rory | Gaither Music Group | February 14 | |
| 1 | If I'm Honest | Blake Shelton | Warner Bros. Nashville | May 20 | |
| 4 | I'm Not the Devil | Cody Jinks | Thirty Tigers | August 12 | |
| 4 | It Must Be Christmas | Chris Young | RCA Nashville | October 14 | |
| 2 | It's About Time | Hank Williams, Jr. | Nash Icon | January 15 | |
| 1 | Kane Brown | Kane Brown | RCA Nashville | December 2 | |
| 1 | Kinda Don't Care | Justin Moore | Valory | August 12 | |
| 4 | Lighter in the Dark | Sister Hazel | Croakin' Poets | February 19 | |
| 1 | Like an Arrow | Blackberry Smoke | Rounder | October 14 | |
| 2 | Love Remains | Hillary Scott & the Scott Family | EMI Nashville | July 29 | |
| 10 | Midwest Farmer's Daughter | Margo Price | Third Man | March 25 | |
| 4 | Mr. Misunderstood: On the Rocks, Live and (Mostly) Unplugged (EP) | Eric Church | EMI Nashville | November 4 | |
| 4 | Mud | Whiskey Myers | Wiggy Thump | September 9 | |
| 10 | Music Is Medicine | Marie Osmond | Oliveme | April 15 | |
| 7 | My Kind of Christmas | Reba McEntire | Cracker Barrel/Nash Icon/Starstruck | September 6 | |
| 5 | Nothing Shines Like Neon | Randy Rogers Band | Tommy Jackson | January 15 | |
| 5 | Now That's What I Call Country #1's | Various Artists | Sony/Universal | November 4 | |
| 3 | Now That's What I Call Country Volume 9 | Various Artists | Universal | June 10 | |
| 2 | Obsessed | Dan + Shay | Warner Bros. Nashville | June 3 | |
| 3 | Pawn Shop | Brothers Osborne | EMI Nashville | January 15 | |
| 2 | Playing with Fire | Jennifer Nettles | Big Machine | May 13 | |
| 1 | Pure & Simple | Dolly Parton | Dolly/RCA Nashville | August 19 | |
| 2 | Reckless | Martina McBride | Nash Icon | April 29 | |
| 9 | Redneck Shit | Wheeler Walker, Jr. | Pepper Hill | February 12 | |
| 3 | Remington | Granger Smith | Wheelhouse | March 4 | |
| 1 | Ripcord | Keith Urban | Capitol Nashville | May 6 | |
| 1 | A Sailor's Guide to Earth | Sturgill Simpson | Atlantic | April 15 | |
| 1 | Sinner | Aaron Lewis | Dot | September 16 | |
| 5 | Southern Family | Various Artists | Elektra Nashville | March 18 | |
| 4 | Spark | Drake White | Dot | August 19 | |
| 3 | Strait Out of the Box: Part 2 | George Strait | MCA Nashville | November 18 | |
| 6 | Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars | Dwight Yoakam | Sugar Hill | September 23 | |
| 3 | Tattooed Heart | Ronnie Dunn | Nash Icon | November 11 | |
| 1 | They Don't Know | Jason Aldean | Broken Bow | September 9 | |
| 8 | The Things That We Are Made Of | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Lambent Light | May 6 | |
| 6 | 'Tis the Season | Jimmy Buffett | Mailboat | October 28 | |
| 7 | Trio: The Ultimate Collection | Dolly Parton,Linda Ronstadt andEmmylou Harris | Warner Bros. Nashville | September 9 | |
| 1 | The Ultimate Collection | Garth Brooks | Pearl | November 11 | |
| 1 | The Weight of These Wings | Miranda Lambert | RCA Nashville | November 18 | |
| 5 | Vinyl | William Michael Morgan | Warner Bros. Nashville | September 30 | |
| 1 | We're All Somebody from Somewhere | Steven Tyler | Dot | July 15 | |
| 2 | You Should Be Here | Cole Swindell | Warner Bros. Nashville | May 6 |
| US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Release Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | And Then There's This... | The Grascals | Mountain Home | January 8 | |
| 16 | All American Mutt | Jamie Kent | Road Dog | October 21 | |
| 35 | All I've Been Through | Charlie Farley | BackRoad | April 8 | |
| 14 | All Night Live, Volume 1 | The Mavericks | Valory Music Co. | October 14 | |
| 42 | Bad Mutha Fucka | Upchurch | RHEC | December 9 | |
| 19 | The Bird & the Rifle | Lori McKenna | Thirty Tigers | July 29 | |
| 30 | Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg | Gillian Welch | Acony | November 25 | |
| 12 | Breathless | Sam Riggs | Deep Creek | February 19 | |
| 31 | Brett Young | Brett Young | Republic Nashville | February 12 | |
| 46 | Bringing Country Back | Zane Williams | Be Music & Entertainment | October 21 | |
| 30 | Cayamo: Sessions at Sea | Buddy Miller | New West | January 29 | |
| 41 | Celebrate Christmas | The Oak Ridge Boys | Gaither Music Group | October 21 | |
| 43 | A Chrisley Christmas | Todd Chrisley | Holy Graffiti | November 4 | |
| 11 | Circlin' Back, Celebrating 50 Years, Live at the Ryman Auditorium, TN | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | NGDB/Warner Bros. Nashville | September 30 | |
| 13 | Colvin & Earle | Colvin &Earle | Fantasy | June 10 | |
| 21 | Coming to a Honky Tonk Near You | Kevin Fowler | Kevin Fowler | October 21 | |
| 50 | A Country Boy Can Survive (Box Set) | Hank Williams, Jr. | Curb | October 21 | |
| 41 | Couchville Sessions | Darrell Scott | Full Light | May 13 | |
| 42 | Dance with Me (EP) | The Springs | CFC | June 10 | |
| 37 | Dear Life | High Valley | Atlantic Nashville | November 18 | |
| 22 | Deep Tracks | Faith Hill | Warner Bros. Nashville | November 18 | |
| 42 | Del and Woody | Del McCoury Band | McCoury | April 15 | |
| 39 | Deux (EP) | Megan and Liz | Hidden Cow | March 11 | |
| 11 | Dirt on Us | Drew Baldridge | Cold River | June 10 | |
| 35 | Down in a Hole | Kiefer Sutherland | Warner Bros. Nashville | August 19 | |
| 43 | Drifted | Lenny Cooper | Backroad | October 28 | |
| 23 | Exodus of Venus | Elizabeth Cook | Agent Love Records | June 17 | |
| 25 | Extended Play (EP) | LANco | Arista Nashville | April 15 | |
| 14 | Fight Like Hell (EP) | Tucker Beathard | Dot | October 7 | |
| 14 | The Fighters | LoCash | Reviver Music | June 17 | |
| 44 | Forever a Cowboy (EP) | Ned LeDoux | Powder River | December 2 | |
| 13 | Good Country Music | Frank Foster | Lone Chief | October 28 | |
| 30 | Heart of America | Upchurch | Johnny Cashville | January 15 | |
| 42 | House on Fire | Ty Herndon | BFD | November 11 | |
| 38 | Humble Folks | Flatland Cavalry | Flatland Cavalry | April 1 | |
| 13 | I Am the Rain | Chely Wright | MRI Entertainment/Sony | September 9 | |
| 22 | I Call BS on That (EP) | Buddy Brown | Buddy Brown Music | October 7 | |
| 27 | I'm Leavin' | Elvis Presley | RCA/Legacy | April 15 | |
| 49 | It's So Good Live | Sundy Best | eOne Entertainment | April 22 | |
| 25 | Kid Sister | The Time Jumpers | Rounder | September 9 | |
| 44 | Ladies & Gentlemen | Infamous Stringdusters | Compass | February 5 | |
| 47 | Letting Go...Slow | Lorrie Morgan | Shanachie | February 12 | |
| 28 | The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration | Various Artists | Rounder | November 11 | |
| 16 | Live: American Outlaws | The Highwaymen | Legacy | May 20 | |
| 29 | Live Dinner Reunion | Robert Earl Keen | Dualtone | November 18 | |
| 42 | Long Way | Corey Kent White | Backwoods | May 27 | |
| 49 | Lucky to Be Alive | Confederate Railroad | D&B Masterworks | July 15 | |
| 44 | A Man and His Guitar: Live from the Franklin Theatre | Travis Tritt | Post Oak | November 18 | |
| 50 | McGraw: The Ultimate Collection | Tim McGraw | Curb | October 21 | |
| 38 | Midland (EP) | Midland | Big Machine | October 28 | |
| 24 | Midnight Motel | Jack Ingram | Rounder | August 26 | |
| 12 | The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 2 | Various Artists | Big Machine | May 13 | |
| 50 | My Gospel | Paul Cauthen | Lightning Rod | October 14 | |
| 48 | Never Enders | Lonestar | Shanachie | April 29 | |
| 23 | New City Blues | Aubrie Sellers | Carnival | January 29 | |
| 29 | New Lane Road | Josh Kelley | Sugar Hill | April 22 | |
| 42 | Post Monroe (EP) | Post Monroe | KCH | May 13 | |
| 34 | Precious Memories: Collection | Alan Jackson | EMI Nashville | November 25 | |
| 46 | Rain Crow | Tony Joe White | Yep Roc | May 27 | |
| 39 | Red, White & Blue (Live) | Van Zant | Loud & Proud | July 1 | |
| 41 | Rx | Ryan Beaver | St. Beaver | May 6 | |
| 17 | Shine on a Rainy Day | Brent Cobb | Elektra Nashville | October 7 | |
| 45 | Simple (EP) | Travis Marvin | Independent | July 22 | |
| 43 | Silent Night: A Country Christmas | Various Artists | Sony Music Nashville | August 23 | |
| 38 | Steve Moakler (EP) | Steve Moakler | Creative Nation | March 11 | |
| 11 | Strait for the Holidays | George Strait | MCA Nashville | October 28 | |
| 14 | Summer (EP) | Cassadee Pope | Republic Nashville | June 3 | |
| 12 | Sunset Motel | Reckless Kelly | Thirty Tigers | September 23 | |
| 25 | Tailgate Country | Soul Circus Cowboys | Kismet | February 26 | |
| 18 | Then Sings My Soul: Songs for My Mother | Wade Bowen | Bowen Sounds | March 18 | |
| 49 | Thin Line | Billy Ray Cyrus | Blue Cadillac | September 9 | |
| 19 | Timeless (EP) | The Swon Brothers | TSB | January 29 | |
| 13 | To Celebrate Christmas | Jennifer Nettles | Big Machine | October 28 | |
| 31 | To Joey, with Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Various Artists | Reunion | November 11 | |
| 44 | Tougher | Lainey Wilson | Lone Chief | April 8 | |
| 22 | Tradition Lives | Mark Chesnutt | Row Entertainment | July 8 | |
| 28 | The Truth (EP) | Royal Bliss | Royal Bliss | June 3 | |
| 12 | Turning Point | Chuck Wicks | Blaster | February 26 | |
| 40 | The Ultimate Collection | Roy Orbison | Legacy | October 28 | |
| 12 | Underground (EP) | Kip Moore | MCA Nashville | October 28 | |
| 24 | Up At Night | Cimorelli | Cimorelli | May 18 | |
| 22 | The Very Best of the Highwaymen | The Highwaymen | Legacy | May 20 | |
| 11 | A Very Kacey Christmas | Kacey Musgraves | Mercury Nashville | October 28 | |
| 28 | The Voice: The Complete Season 10 Collection | Adam Wakefield | Republic | May 24 | |
| 36 | The Voice: The Complete Season 11 Collection | Sundance Head | Republic | December 9 | |
| 21 | Watch This | Wade Bowen andRandy Rogers | Lil' Buddy Toons | June 3 | |
| 48 | Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music | Various Artists | Numero | March 18 | |
| 13 | We the People | Big Smo | Elektra Nashville | July 22 | |
| 47 | Which Way Is Up | Jackson Taylor & the Sinners | Sin House | June 3 | |
| 26 | White Christmas Blue | Loretta Lynn | Legacy | October 7 | |
| 16 | A Whole Lot More to Me | Craig Morgan | Black River | June 3 | |
| 28 | William Michael Morgan EP | William Michael Morgan | Warner Bros. Nashville | March 18 | |
| 48 | Wrong Side of the River | Rob Baird | Hard Luck | May 13 | |
| 14 | Wynonna & the Big Noise | Wynonna | Curb | February 12 | |
| 14 | Yours, EP | Russell Dickerson | Dent | January 18 | |
| 25 | Zach Seabaugh (EP) | Zach Seabaugh | Open Roads Highway | June 1 | |
| 37 | 17 (EP) | Dylan Schneider | Dylan Schneider | October 9 |
(presented April 2, 2017 inLas Vegas)
ACM Honors
(presented August 30, 2016)
(presented May 1 inLos Angeles)
(presented in November 20 in Los Angeles)
(presented in Sydney on November 23, 2016)
(presented September 11 inLondon, Ontario)
(presented November 2 inNashville)
(presented on June 8 inNashville)
CMT Artists of the Year
(presented on October 20, 2016, in Nashville)[52]
(presented February 12, 2017 inLos Angeles)
(presented April 2, 2017 inOttawa)