April 27 — A story in the New York Daily News reported a possible long-term relationship between Mindy McCready and baseball star Roger Clemens that began when she was 15 years old. Though Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, acknowledged that McCready was a "close family friend," Hardin denied the affair and threatened to bring a defamation suit against him. However, McCready would state that the relationship was sexual, and spoke about her affair with Clemens in more detail on the November 17 broadcast of Inside Edition.May 15 — People Magazine reported Canadian singer Shania Twain and her husband, music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, had separated after 14 years of marriage. The couple were married on December 28, 1993, after Twain met Lange at Nashville's Fan Fair earlier in the year.May 23 — Anne Murray performs her final concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and retires from show business.June 14 — Sara Evans and radio show host/former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker are married in Franklin, Tennessee, with their children as their attendants.November 11 — Country music superstar Reba McEntire departs her longtime record label MCA Nashville, after 24 years and signed to The Valory Music Co., sister label to Big Machine Records. McEntire and Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta had previously worked together in the 1990s when Borchetta was senior president of promotion for MCA Nashville.November 20 — Julianne Hough announces that she would not be returning for the foreseeable future to Dancing with the Stars in order to further her country music career.December 7 — The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors George Jones for his lifetime contributions to the arts.December 18 — Equity Music Group, a label owned by Clint Black, closes after five years in operation.The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 2008:
The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2008:
January 6 — Ken Nelson, 96, record producer for artists including Hank Thompson, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and many others.April 22 — Paul Davis, 60, crossover artist whose collaborations with Marie Osmond and Tanya Tucker reached No. 1 in the 1980s. (heart attack)May 1 — Jim Hager, 61, country singer and actor who along with his twin brother Jon were regulars on Hee Haw from 1969 to 1986. (heart attack)May 5 — Jerry Wallace, 79, crossover artist who scored several country hits during the 1970s including the No. 1 "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry" in 1972. (congestive heart failure)May 8 — Eddy Arnold, 89, country and pop singer whose career spanned seven decades. (natural causes)May 11 — Dottie Rambo, 74, southern gospel singer-songwriter. (bus accident)July 16 — Jo Stafford, 90, crossover artist from the 1940s with hits "Feudin’ and Fightin" and "Temptation". (congestive heart failure)August 11 — Don Helms, 81, steel guitarist and member of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys. (heart attack) August 31 — Jerry Reed, 71, country singer and actor best known for his 1971 crossover hit "When You're Hot, You're Hot" (emphysema)September 12 — Charlie Walker, 81, honky tonk singer best known for "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" (colon cancer)Tom T. Hall (born 1936), singer and songwriter, known as "The Storyteller"Emmylou Harris (born 1947), neo-traditional singer and songwriterThe Statler Brothers (Harold Reid (born 1939), Don Reid (born 1945), Phil Balsley (born 1939), Lew DeWitt (1938-1990), Jimmy Fortune (born 1955)), diverse country music group known for pop-styled, nostalgic and gospel songs.Ernest "Pop" Stoneman (1893-1968), singer, songwriter, and musician, patriarch of the family group The StonemansPrairie OysterBrian FerrimanWes Montgomery(presented February 8, 2009 in Los Angeles)
Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Last Name", Carrie UnderwoodBest Male Country Vocal Performance — "Letter to Me", Brad PaisleyBest Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals — "Stay", SugarlandBest Country Collaboration with Vocals — "Killing the Blues", Robert Plant and Alison KraussBest Country Instrumental Performance — "Cluster Pluck", Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, and Steve WarinerBest Country Song — "Stay", Jennifer NettlesBest Country Album — Troubadour, George StraitBest Bluegrass Album — Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder(presented March 29, 2009 in Vancouver)
Country Recording of the Year — Beautiful Life, Doc Walker(presented April 14 in Nashville)
Video of the Year — "Our Song", Taylor SwiftMale Video of the Year — "I Got My Game On", Trace AdkinsFemale Video of the Year — "Our Song", Taylor SwiftGroup Video of the Year — "Take Me There", Rascal FlattsDuo Video of the Year — "Stay", SugarlandUSA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year — "I Wonder", Kellie PicklerCollaborative Video of the Year — "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore", Bon Jovi & LeAnn RimesPerformance of the Year — "I Wonder", Kellie PicklerSupporting Character of the Year — Rodney Carrington in "I Got My Game On"Wide Open Country Video of the Year — "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)", Alison Krauss & Robert PlantTearjerker Video of the Year — "I Wonder", Kellie PicklerComedy Video of the Year — "Online", Brad PaisleyVideo Director of the Year — Michael Salomon(presented April 5, 2009 in Las Vegas)
Entertainer of the Year — Carrie UnderwoodTop Male Vocalist — Brad PaisleyTop Female Vocalist — Carrie UnderwoodTop Vocal Group — Rascal FlattsTop Vocal Duo — SugarlandTop New Male Vocalist — Jake OwenTop New Female Vocalist — Julianne HoughTop New Vocal Duo or Group — Zac Brown BandTop New Artist — Julianne HoughAlbum of the Year — Fearless, Taylor SwiftSingle Record of the Year — "You're Gonna Miss This", Trace AdkinsSong of the Year — "In Color", Jamey JohnsonVideo of the Year — "Waitin' on a Woman", Brad PaisleyVocal Event of the Year — "Start a Band", Brad Paisley and Keith UrbanPoets Award — Merle Haggard and Harlan HowardJim Reeves International Award — Dolly PartonCliffie Stone Pioneer Award — Hank Williams, Jr., Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis and Jerry ReedTex Ritter Award — Beer for My Horses(presented September 8 in Winnipeg)
Fans' Choice Award — Doc WalkerMale Artist of the Year — Johnny ReidFemale Artist of the Year — Jessie FarrellGroup or Duo of the Year — Doc WalkerSongwriter(s) of the Year — "Beautiful Life", written by Murray Pulver, Chris Thorsteinson and Dave WasyliwSingle of the Year — "Beautiful Life", performed by Doc WalkerAlbum of the Year — Beautiful Life, Doc WalkerTop Selling Album — The Ultimate Hits, Garth BrooksTop Selling Canadian Album — Kicking Stones, Johnny ReidCMT Video of the Year — "Beautiful Life", Doc WalkerRising Star Award — Jessie FarrellRoots Artist or Group of the Year — Corb Lund(presented November 12 in Nashville)
Entertainer of the Year — Kenny ChesneyFemale Vocalist of the Year — Carrie UnderwoodMale Vocalist of the Year — Brad PaisleyNew Artist of the Year — Lady AntebellumVocal Group of the Year — Rascal FlattsVocal Duo of the Year — SugarlandSingle of the Year — "I Saw God Today", George StraitAlbum of the Year — Troubadour, George StraitSong of the Year — "Stay", SugarlandMusical Event of the Year — "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)", Robert Plant and Alison KraussMusic Video of the Year — "Waitin' on a Woman", Brad Paisley and Andy GriffithMusician of the Year — Mac McAnally 