2012 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2012.

Events

 * February 29 – Branson, Missouri, a city famous for its country music-oriented tourist attractions, sustained damage from the Leap Day tornadoes. Three of Branson's 50-plus theaters are extensively damaged.
 * May 11 – ABC picks up Malibu Country, starring Reba McEntire, to series. The new series debuts in November but is later cancelled in May 2013 after 18 episodes.
 * May 21 – Scott Borchetta announces the signing of Tim McGraw to Big Machine Records.
 * June 4 – Sony Music Nashville closes its BNA Records division after 21 years of operation; all its artists and staff are transferred to Columbia Nashville.
 * June 18 – Gail Gellman, manager for Sugarland, confirms that member Jennifer Nettles is expecting a baby in November with husband Justin Miller.
 * August – Randy Travis is involved in a number of legal incidents, including a drunk driving incident where he was found sitting nude outside his wrecked vehicle and – as police officers were trying to take him into custody – making verbal threats to injure and kill the officers, and a domestic disturbance approximately two weeks later.
 * August 14 – George Jones announces plans for a 60-date farewell tour, titled The Grand Tour, for 2013.
 * August 18 – Wynonna Judd's husband Scott "Cactus" Moser, who plays drums in both her road band and Highway 101, is involved in a motorcycle crash in South Dakota which results in the amputation of a leg.
 * September 25 – Country legend Loretta Lynn celebrates her 50th Anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
 * September 26 – George Strait announces plans for a farewell tour, titled The Cowboy Rides Away, for 2013 and 2014. Strait revealed he will continue recording and will perform on special occasions.
 * October 11 – Billboard changes its Hot Country Songs from an airplay-only chart to one that reflects both airplay and music downloads, similarly to the Hot 100. The airplay-only methodology is transferred to a new chart called Country Airplay. As a result of the new methodology, Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" – which had previously peaked at No. 13 – rebounds back up the chart and becomes the first No. 1 single under the new methodology. In the process, the song becomes the first to top both the country and Billboard Hot 100 charts since "Amazed" by Lonestar in March 2000 and – with nine weeks at No. 1 – is the longest running chart-topper on the country chart since "Almost Persuaded" by David Houston in 1966. The song also is the longest-running No. 1 country song ever by a female artist, topping Connie Smith's "Once a Day" (which logged eight weeks at No. 1 in 1964–1965).
 * November 1 – Luken Communications and Jim Owens Entertainment relaunch The Nashville Network (TNN) as a digital broadcast television network.

Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay or Canada Country charts in 2012:

Top new album releases
The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2012:

Deaths

 * January 20 – Larry Butler, 69, producer for Kenny Rogers and other artists (natural causes)
 * March 28 – Earl Scruggs, 88, Bluegrass musician. (natural causes)
 * April 25 – Mark McCoy, bassist for Micky & the Motorcars. (drowning)
 * April 29 – Kenny Roberts, 84, American country singer and yodeler "I Never See Maggie Alone" (natural causes)
 * May 6 – George Lindsey, 83, comedian-actor, co-star of Hee Haw
 * May 29 – Doc Watson, 89, folk-styled singer and guitarist whose music spanned into country and bluegrass, among many other genres (complications from a fall and colon surgery).
 * June 13 – Frances W. Preston, 83, music executive. President and CEO of Broadcast Music, Inc. from 1986 to 2004 (heart failure).
 * July 3 – Andy Griffith, 86, comedian-actor and country-gospel singer. Best known for the TV series The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock.
 * July 16 – Kitty Wells, 92, pioneering female country music superstar, best known for hits such as "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" (complications from a stroke).
 * September 7 – Rollin "Oscar" Sullivan, 93, American country music entertainer that was the "Oscar" half of Lonzo and Oscar.
 * September 30 – Raylene Rankin, 52, member of Canadian country group The Rankin Family. (breast cancer)
 * October 21 – Tim Johnson, 52, songwriter best known for his number one hit "Do You Believe Me Now" for Jimmy Wayne and for his work with Rory Lee Feek of Joey + Rory (cancer).
 * October 30 – Jan Crutchfield, 74, songwriter best known for "Statue of a Fool"
 * November 21 – Phil Stone, 57, disc jockey at KMOD-FM in Tulsa, Oklahoma, co-creator of the Roy D. Mercer character (heart attack)
 * November 23 – Frank Dycus, 72, songwriter of over 500 songs including the hits "Unwound" and "Gonna Get a Life".

Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees

 * Doyle Lawson
 * Ralph Rinzler

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

 * Hargus "Pig" Robbins (born 1938).
 * Connie Smith (born 1941).
 * Garth Brooks (born 1962).

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

 * Johnny Burke
 * Ralph Murphy

American Country Awards
(presented December 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada)
 * Artist of the Year – Luke Bryan
 * Male Artist of the Year – Luke Bryan
 * Female Artist of the Year – Carrie Underwood
 * Group/Duo of the Year – Lady Antebellum
 * Touring Artist of the Year – Jason Aldean
 * Album of the Year – Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan
 * Breakthrough Artist of the Year – Jake Owen
 * New Artist of the Year – Lauren Alaina
 * Single of the Year – "I Don't Want This Night to End", Luke Bryan
 * Male Single of the Year – "I Don't Want This Night to End", Luke Bryan
 * Female Single of the Year – "Over You", Miranda Lambert
 * Duo/Group Single of the Year – "We Owned the Night", Lady Antebellum
 * Breakthrough Single of the Year – "You Don't Know Her Like I Do", Brantley Gilbert
 * New Artist Single of the Year – "Wanted", Hunter Hayes
 * Single by a Vocal Collaboration – "Remind Me", Brad Paisley feat. Carrie Underwood
 * Music Video of the Year – "I Don't Want This Night to End", Luke Bryan
 * Male Music Video of the Year – "I Don't Want This Night to End", Luke Bryan
 * Female Music Video of the Year – "Over You", Miranda Lambert
 * Duo/Group Music Video of the Year – "Pontoon", Little Big Town
 * New Artist Music Video of the Year – "Wanted", Hunter Hayes
 * Song of the Year – "Springsteen", Eric Church

Academy of Country Music
(presented April 7, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada)
 * Entertainer of the Year – Luke Bryan
 * Top Male Vocalist – Jason Aldean
 * Top Female Vocalist – Miranda Lambert
 * Top Vocal Group – Little Big Town
 * Top Vocal Duo – Thompson Square
 * Top New Male Vocalist – Brantley Gilbert
 * Top New Female Vocalist – Jana Kramer
 * Top New Duo/Group – Florida Georgia Line
 * Top New Artist – Florida Georgia Line
 * Album of the Year – Chief, Eric Church
 * Single Record of the Year – "Over You", Miranda Lambert
 * Song of the Year – "Over You", Miranda Lambert
 * Video of the Year – "Tornado", Little Big Town
 * Vocal Event of the Year – "The Only Way I Know", Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Eric Church

ACM Honors
 * Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Emmylou Harris
 * Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Ricky Skaggs
 * Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Dwight Yoakam
 * Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Billy Sherrill
 * Crystal Milestone Award – Kenny Chesney
 * Career Achievement Award – Vince Gill
 * Jim Reeves International Award – Alan Jackson
 * Mae Boren Axton Award – Gayle Holcomb
 * Poet's Award – Bobby Braddock
 * Poet's Award – Roger Miller
 * Songwriter of the Year – Dallas Davidson

Americana Music Honors & Awards

 * Album of the Year – This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Various Artists)
 * Artist of the Year – Gillian Welch
 * Duo/Group of the Year – The Civil Wars
 * Song of the Year – "Alabama Pines" (Jason Isbell)
 * Emerging Artist of the Year – Alabama Shakes
 * Instrumentalist of the Year – David Rawlings
 * Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – Richard Thompson
 * Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Bonnie Raitt
 * Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist – Booker T. Jones
 * Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Dennis Lord

American Music Awards
(presented November 18 in Los Angeles)
 * Favorite Country Male Artist – Luke Bryan
 * Favorite Country Female Artist – Taylor Swift
 * Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group – Lady Antebellum
 * Favorite Country Album – Blown Away, Carrie Underwood

ARIA Awards
(presented in Sydney on November 29, 2012)
 * Best Country Album – Two Worlds Collide (The McClymonts)

Canadian Country Music Association
(presented September 9 in Saskatoon)
 * Fans' Choice Award – Johnny Reid
 * Male Artist of the Year – Dean Brody
 * Female Artist of the Year – Carolyn Dawn Johnson
 * Group or Duo of the Year – Hey Romeo
 * Songwriter(s) of the Year – "Is It Friday Yet?", written by Gord Bamford, Roger Brown and Byron Hill
 * Single of the Year – "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore", Jason Blaine
 * Album of the Year – Dirt, Dean Brody
 * Top Selling Album – Own the Night, Lady Antebellum
 * Top Selling Canadian Album – Fire It Up, Johnny Reid
 * CMT Video of the Year – "In This House", The Stellas
 * Rising Star Award – Kira Isabella
 * Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Jimmy Rankin
 * Generation Award – Taylor Swift

Country Music Association
(presented November 1 in Nashville)
 * Single of the Year – "Pontoon", Little Big Town
 * Song of the Year – "Over You", Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton
 * Vocal Group of the Year – Little Big Town
 * New Artist of the Year – Hunter Hayes
 * Album of the Year – Chief, Eric Church
 * Musician of the Year – Mac McAnally
 * Vocal Duo of the Year – Thompson Square
 * Music Video of the Year – "Red Solo Cup", Toby Keith
 * Male Vocalist of the Year – Blake Shelton
 * Female Vocalist of the Year – Miranda Lambert
 * Musical Event of the Year – "Feel Like a Rock Star", Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw
 * Entertainer of the Year – Blake Shelton

CMT Music Awards
(presented June 6 in Nashville)
 * Video of the Year – "Good Girl", Carrie Underwood
 * Male Video of the Year – "I Don't Want This Night to End", Luke Bryan
 * Female Video of the Year – "Over You", Miranda Lambert
 * Group Video of the Year – "We Owned the Night", Lady Antebellum
 * Duo Video of the Year – "I Got You", Thompson Square
 * USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year – "The Trouble with Girls", Scotty McCreery
 * Collaborative Video of the Year – "Remind Me", Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood
 * Performance of the Year – "Tattoos on This Town", Jason Aldean from CMT Artists of the Year

CMT Artists of the Year

(presented December 9 in Nashville)
 * Jason Aldean
 * Luke Bryan
 * Kenny Chesney
 * Eric Church
 * Toby Keith
 * Miranda Lambert
 * Carrie Underwood

Grammy Awards
(presented February 10, 2013)
 * Best Country Solo Performance – "Blown Away", Carrie Underwood
 * Best Country Duo/Group Performance – "Pontoon", Little Big Town
 * Best Country Song – "Blown Away", Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins (performed by Carrie Underwood)
 * Best Country Album – Uncaged, Zac Brown Band
 * Best Bluegrass Album – Nobody Knows You, Steep Canyon Rangers

Juno Awards
(presented April 21, 2013 in Regina)
 * Country Album of the Year – Fire It Up, Johnny Reid