1985 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1985.

Events

 * January — In radio, the United Stations Programming Network’s "Solid Gold Country," a country music spinoff of the oldies-focused "Solid Gold Scrapbook," switches from a three-hour-a-week show to a five-day-a-week program (with the option to air all five hours in as a weekly program). Under the new format, each hourly program covered a different topic, such as a profile on a singer, songwriter or producer; a look back at the popular songs from the current week in a past year, gold records from the current month and other topics under virtually every conceivable topic. The new program will run 8-1/2 years.
 * May 8 - 20th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, George Strait, and Reba McEntire win
 * A story published in The New York Times declares that country music is "dead." However, a number of new acts – Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam among them – are working behind the scenes to change the trend.
 * The Country Music Association Awards introduced a new award, Music Video of the Year. The first recipient was Hank Williams Jr.'s video for "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight."

Regular series

 * Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)
 * That Nashville Music (1970–1985, syndicated)

Births

 * January 20 – Brantley Gilbert, singer of the 2010s best known for "Country Must Be Country Wide" and "You Don't Know Her Like I Do"
 * May 20 – Jon Pardi, country singer of the 2010s
 * June 12 – Chris Young, winner on the fourth season of Nashville Star
 * August 26 – Brian Kelley, member of Florida Georgia Line, a duo of the 2010s.
 * September 1 — Charlie Worsham, singer/multi-instrumentalist honored by the Mississippi state senate
 * September 19 — Chase Rice, country singer of the 2010s

Deaths

 * July 17 – Wynn Stewart, 51, key progenitor of the Bakersfield sound, known for hits such as "It's Such a Pretty World Today" (heart attack)
 * August 8 – Benny Barnes, 51, former rhythm guitarist for George Jones, best known for his 1956 hit "Poor Man's Riches"
 * October 11 -- Tex Williams, 68, Western swing and talking blues performer best known for "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" (pancreatic cancer)

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

 * Flatt and Scruggs (Lester Flatt 1914–1979 and Earl Scruggs 1924–2012)

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

 * Don Messer
 * Hank Snow

Grammy Awards

 * Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me", Rosanne Cash
 * Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "Lost in the Fifties Tonight", Ronnie Milsap
 * Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Why Not Me" The Judds
 * Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Cosmic Square Dance", Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
 * Best Country Song — "Highwayman," Jimmy Webb (Performer: The Highwaymen)

Juno Awards

 * Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Murray McLauchlan
 * Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
 * Country Group or Duo of the Year — Family Brown

Academy of Country Music

 * Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
 * Song of the Year — "Lost in the Fifties Tonight", Fred Parris, Mike Reid and Troy Seals (Performer: Ronnie Milsap)
 * Single of the Year — "Highwayman", The Highwaymen
 * Album of the Year — Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, George Strait
 * Top Male Vocalist — George Strait
 * Top Female Vocalist — Reba McEntire
 * Top Vocal Duo — The Judds
 * Top Vocal Group — Alabama
 * Top New Male Vocalist — Randy Travis
 * Top New Female Vocalist — Judy Rodman
 * Video of the Year — "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?", George Jones (Directors: Marc Ball)

Canadian Country Music Association

 * Entertainer of the Year — Dick Damron
 * Male Artist of the Year — Terry Carisse
 * Female Artist of the Year — Carroll Baker
 * Group of the Year — The Mercey Brothers
 * SOCAN Song of the Year — "Counting the I Love You's", Terry Carisse, Bruce Rawlins (Performer: Terry Carisse)
 * Single of the Year — "Riding on the Wind", Gary Fjellgaard
 * Album of the Year — Closest Thing to You, Terry Carisse
 * Top Selling Album — Once Upon a Christmas, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
 * Vista Rising Star Award — Ginny Mitchell
 * Duo of the Year — Anita Perras and Tim Taylor

Country Music Association

 * Entertainer of the Year — Ricky Skaggs
 * Song of the Year — "God Bless the USA", Lee Greenwood (Performer: Lee Greenwood)
 * Single of the Year — "Why Not Me", The Judds
 * Album of the Year — Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, George Strait
 * Male Vocalist of the Year — George Strait
 * Female Vocalist of the Year — Reba McEntire
 * Vocal Duo of the Year — Dave Loggins and Anne Murray
 * Vocal Group of the Year — The Judds
 * Horizon Award — Sawyer Brown
 * Music Video of the Year — "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight", Hank Williams Jr. (Director: John Goodhue)
 * Instrumentalist of the Year — Chet Atkins
 * Instrumental Group of the Year — Ricky Skaggs Band