Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year

The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year. This Award goes to the songwriter(s) and is for artistic achievement in songwriting. Any Country Music song with original words and music is eligible based upon the song's Country singles chart activity during the eligibility period. It is the sister category to the Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year, which recognizes the artist, producer and engineer.

It was first handed out at the inaugural 1967 CMA Awards to Dallas Frazier for his song "There Goes My Everything" which had been popularised at that time by Jack Greene. K. T. Oslin became the first woman to win the award in 1988 for her hit "80's Ladies". Vince Gill is the most awarded songwriter in the category, with four wins, while two—time winner Alan Jackson and 2014 recipient Shane McAnally hold the record for most nominations, with ten each. Bob McDill and Brad Paisley are the most nominated writers not to win, with six nominations. The current holder of the award is Tracy Chapman, who wrote Luke Combs' hit "Fast Car", which won at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2023.

To date, thirteen men: Dallas Frazier (1967), Bobby Russell (1968), Bob Ferguson (1969), Kris Kristofferson (1970), Freddie Hart (1971—2), Kenny O'Dell (1973), Don Wayne (1974), John Denver (1975), Larry Weiss (1976), Richard Leigh (1978), Don Schlitz (1979), Lee Greenwood (1985) and Vince Gill (1996) and seven women: K.T. Oslin (1988), Gretchen Peters (1995), Jennifer Nettles (2008), Kimberly Perry (2011), Lori McKenna (2016), Taylor Swift (2017) and Tracy Chapman (2023) have won the Song of the Year award with a solo composition.

To date, only three songs, "Easy Loving", "Always on My Mind" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today", have received the award in consecutive years and only Freddie Hart, Don Schlitz, Vince Gill and Lori McKenna have won in consecutive years.

Writers with multiple nominations

 * 10 nominations
 * Alan Jackson
 * Shane McAnally


 * 7 nominations
 * Bob McDill


 * 6 nominations
 * Bob McDill
 * Bobby Braddock
 * Brad Paisley
 * Josh Osborne
 * Vince Gill


 * 5 nominations


 * Ashley Gorley
 * Don Schlitz
 * Eric Church
 * Hillary Lindsey
 * Miranda Lambert
 * Wyatt Durrette


 * 4 nominations


 * Billy Sherrill
 * Curly Putman
 * John Rich
 * Kacey Musgraves
 * Luke Combs
 * Natalie Hemby
 * Toby Keith


 * 3 nominations


 * Allen Shamblin
 * Bill Anderson
 * Dallas Frazier
 * Merle Haggard
 * Michael Hardy
 * Hal David
 * Jon Randall
 * Luke Laird
 * Maren Morris
 * Nicolle Galyon
 * Paul Overstreet
 * Rodney Clawson
 * Roger Cook
 * Ronnie Dunn
 * Sam Hunt
 * Tom Douglas
 * Tom T. Hall
 * Troy Seals
 * Zac Brown


 * 2 nominations


 * Archie Jordan
 * Ashley McBryde
 * Ben Peters
 * Bobby Russell
 * Brandy Clark
 * Brett James
 * Carly Pearce
 * Casey Beathard
 * Chips Moman
 * Chris DuBois
 * Clint Black
 * Craig Martin
 * Craig Wiseman
 * Dan Smyers
 * Dewayne Blackwell
 * Dickey Lee
 * Dierks Bentley
 * Frank J. Myers
 * Freddie Hart
 * Gary Baker
 * Gene Nelson
 * Gretchen Wilson
 * Hayden Nicholas
 * James House
 * Jamey Johnson
 * Jamie O'Hara
 * Jeff Hyde
 * Jim McBride
 * John Anderson
 * Johnny Christopher
 * Jonathan Singleton
 * Jordan Davis
 * Jordan Reynolds
 * Jordan Schmidt
 * Josh Kear
 * K. T. Oslin
 * Keith Stegall
 * Kenny O'Dell
 * Kris Kristofferson
 * Lainey Wilson
 * Lee Thomas Miller
 * Larry Cordle
 * Larry Johnson
 * Larry Shell
 * Lee Greenwood
 * Lori McKenna
 * Marcus Hummon
 * Mark Irwin
 * Mark James
 * Mary Chapin Carpenter
 * Matraca Berg
 * Max D. Barnes
 * Monty Criswell
 * Paul Nelson
 * Randy Travis
 * Richard Leigh
 * Robert Williford
 * Rodney Crowell
 * Roger Bowling
 * Roger Murrah
 * Rory Bourke
 * Sam Hogin
 * Sanger Shafer
 * Tammy Wynette
 * Taylor Swift
 * Tim DuBois
 * Vern Gosdin
 * Wayne Carson
 * Wynn Varble
 * Zach Crowell