Josh Osborne (born c. 1980) is an American songwriter with several number-one singles to his credit.
Early life Josh Osborne was born in Pike County, Kentucky, and raised in Virgie, Kentucky. Osborne grew up on US 23, renamed Country Music Highway by the state of Kentucky in honor of the many country music artists who had come from the area, and developed a deep love of country music, particularly artists like Keith Whitley and Dwight Yoakam. Josh graduated from Shelby Valley High School in 1998 and moved right after graduation to Nashville where he signed his first publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.
Career Josh Osborne signed a publishing agreement with Black River Entertainment in 2010. In 2015, Osborne announced he was joining Shane McAnally's company, SMACKSongs as a partner and songwriter. SMACKSongs currently represents McAnally, as well as Josh Jenkins, Ryan Beaver, Aaron Eshuis, and Walker Hayes among other writers. Osborne is a multi-platinum, GRAMMY Award winning songwriter based in Nashville, Tenn. who has notched 23 No. 1s on the Country charts. He earned his first No. 1 with Kenny Chesney’s "Come Over," in 2012. Since the Platinum-selling hit, Osborne has received countless cuts by Country’s hottest artists including Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and more.
Osborne has since written other Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping songs, including "Drunk Last Night," recorded by Eli Young Band, "My Eyes," performed by Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Sebastian, "We Are Tonight," sung by Billy Currington, "Leave the Night On" and "Take Your Time" by Sam Hunt, "Wild Child", written with Chesney and frequent collaborator Shane McAnally featuring Grace Potter, "Sangria" performed by Blake Shelton, Jake Owen's "Real Life", "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16", performed by Keith Urban, Tim McGraw's "Top of the World", "Setting the World on Fire" performed by Kenny Chesney featuring Pink, the Grammy and Academy of Country Music Award nominated "Vice" performed by Miranda Lambert, Midland's "Drinking Problem" (which he also produced), and Kenny Chesney's "All the Pretty Girls". Osborne has been nominated for over 20 awards by the Academy of Country Music, American Country Awards, ASCAP, Billboard Music Awards, Country Music Association, Music Row and NARAS. Kacey Musgraves’ "Merry Go 'Round," written by Osborne, Shane McAnally and Musgraves, earned Osborne four nominations and won Song Of The Year at the 2013 Music Row Awards and Best Country Song at the 2014 GRAMMY Awards. Also in 2014, Osborne was honored by having his name added to the prestigious Country Music Highway, which runs through the state of Kentucky and near his hometown of Virgie. RIAA Certified Double Platinum No. 1 hit, "Take Your Time," recorded by Sam Hunt and written by Osborne, McAnally and Hunt, earned Osborne a nomination for Song of the Year at the 2015 CMA Awards. 2015 also brought several wins at the ASCAP Awards — earning Osborne Song of the Year for Sam Hunt's "Leave the Night On" and Songwriter of the Year. In 2017, Miranda Lambert's "Vice," written by Osborne, McAnally and Lambert, was nominated for Best Country Song at the GRAMMY Awards and Song of the Year at the ACM Awards. Osborne has been nominated five times for Songwriter of the Year by the ACM and has received multiple CMA Triple Play Awards for having three No. 1 songs on the charts in a 12-month period. Osborne earned a 5× Platinum No.1 with “Body Like A Back Road,” written by Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Osborne, and Zach Crowell. The single made history as the longest reigning No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Song chart by a solo artist, spending 34 weeks atop the chart and was named ASCAP's 2018 Song of the Year. Most recently, he won Song of the Year at the 2020 ACM Awards for co-writing Old Dominion’s “One Man Band.”
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result2013American Country Awards Song of the Year"Merry Go Round"Country Music Association AwardsSong of the Year"Merry Go Round" MusicRow Awards Song of the Year "Merry Go Round"2014Grammy AwardsBest Country Song"Merry Go Round"2015Academy of Country Music AwardsSongwriter of the Year Country Music Association AwardsSong of the Year"Take Your Time"ASCAP Country AwardsSongwriter of the Year"Take Your Time"2016Academy of Country Music Awards Songwriter of the Year Single Record of the Year "Take Your Time"AIMP Nashville Awards Song of the Year"John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"Song of the Year"Take Your Time"Grammy AwardsBest Country Song"Vice"2017AIMP Nashville Awards Song of the Year "Vice"Academy of Country Music AwardsSong of the Year"Vice"CMT Artist of the Year AwardsSong of the Year"Body Like a Back Road"Grammy Awards Best Country Song"Body Like a Back Road""Drinkin' Problem"2018Academy of Country Music AwardsSong of the Year"Body Like A Back Road"Songwriter of the Year"Single Record of the Year "Drinkin' Problem"Country Music Association AwardsSong of the Year"Body Like A Back Road"Single of the Year"Drinkin' Problem"Billboard Music AwardsTop Country Song"Body Like A Back Road"AIMP Nashville AwardsSongwriter of the YearSong of the Year"Drinkin' Problem"Single of the Year"Drinkin' Problem"ASCAP Country Music AwardsSong of the Year"Body Like a Back Road"2019AIMP Nashville AwardsSongwriter of the YearAcademy of Country Music AwardsSongwriter of the YearMusicRow AwardsMale Songwriter of the Year2020Academy of Country Music AwardsSongwriter of the YearSong of the Year"One Man Band"MusicRow AwardsMale Songwriter of the Year2021MusicRow Country Breakout Awards Songwriter of the YearAcademy of Country Music AwardsSongwriter of the YearASCAP Pop AwardsPerformance AwardHard to ForgetKinfolksNobody But YouOne Man BandMusicRow AwardsMale Songwriter of the YearSong of the YearNext GirlCountry Music Association AwardsAlbum of the Year"29"ASCAP Country Music AwardsSongwriter of the YearPerformance Award7 SummersBeers and SunshineBreaking Up Was Easy in the 90sHappy AnywhereHard to ForgetHow They Remember YouNext GirlNobody But You2022Academy of Country Music AwardsAlbum of the Year29: Written in StoneSong of the Year"7 Summers"Music Event of the Year"Never Wanted to Be That Girl"Songwriter of the YearMusicRow AwardsMale Songwriter of the YearCountry Music Association AwardsSong of the Year"Sand In My Boots"Single of the Year"Never Wanted to Be That Girl"Musical Event of the Year"Never Wanted to Be That Girl"Musical Event of the Year"Longneck Way To Go"
Producer Osborne has produced or co-produced the following works: Year Artist Type Project2016MidlandEP Midland EP2017Album On the Rocks2019Album Let It Roll2020Carly PearceSingle Next Girl2021Carly PearceEP 29MidlandEP The Last ResortCarly PearceTrack "Dear Miss Loretta"Carly PearceAlbum 29: Written In Stone2022MidlandAlbum "The Last Resort: Greetings From"
Songwriting discography Songs written or co-written by Osborne.