This is a list of notable events in country music that occurred in 2025.
Events
January 20 – Carrie Underwood performs "America the Beautiful" during the swearing-in ceremony at the second inauguration of Donald Trump. March 3 – Dolly Parton announces the death of her husband. March 19 – The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 100th birthday with a concert special hosted by Blake Shelton which featured over 50 of the Opry's living members in attendance. March 31 – Country singer Orville Peck makes his Broadway debut in Cabaret, playing the role of the Emcee previously played by Adam Lambert for a limited sixteen-show run at the August Wilson Theatre. Peck starred alongside Eva Noblezada as Sally Bowles. April 25–27 – The 2025 edition of Stagecoach Festival takes place at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, featuring headline performances from Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll and Luke Combs. The festival also featured a special country set from Lana Del Rey, who had notably headlined Stagecoach's sister festival Coachella a year prior. Conversely, Post Malone, who performed his own special country set at Stagecoach in 2024, headlines Coachella in 2025. Shaboozey notably performs at both Coachella 2025 and Stagecoach 2025. April 26 – Steve Earle is invited to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry by Vince Gill. He was inducted on September 17 by Emmylou Harris. May 7 – Gretchen Wilson wins season thirteen of The Masked Singer as "Pearl". Fellow country singer Brian Kelley, who appeared as "Mad Scientist Monster" came fourth. Wilson became the second country singer to win the show following LeAnn Rimes as "Sun" during season four. June 8 – Conner Smith is involved in a car accident during which he struck Dorothy Dobbins, a 77-year-old woman who was crossing the sidewalk, and later died at the hospital. July 4 – Pat Green announces that his younger brother John, his wife Julia, and their two youngest children were affected by the Central Texas floods. August 9 – Kathy Mattea is invited to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry by Charlie McCoy. She was officially inducted on October 11 by Terri Clark. August 11 – Jim Asker resigns as the senior editor of the Billboard country, gospel, and Christian music charts after holding the position for ten years. August 13 – George Strait is announced as one of the recipients of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors. August 17 – Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum's Band Together Texas concert raises over $8.5 million for flood relief. Alongside Lambert and McCollum, the event featured performances from Wade Bowen, Lyle Lovett, Ronnie Dunn, Cody Johnson, Lukas Nelson, Pat Green, Jon Randall, Jack Ingram, Randy Rogers, Ryan Bingham, and Jason Aldean, and appearances by Matthew McConaughey, Dennis Quaid, Mack Brown, Emmanuel Acho, Colt McCoy, Vince Young, Roger Clemens, Chris Harrison, and Kendra Scott. August 21 – Connie Smith celebrates her 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. August 26 – Chapel Hart announces their disbandment. September 18 – Country songwriter Brett James is killed in a plane crash in North Carolina. September 30 – Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman announce their divorce after 19 years of marriage. October 7 – Vince Gill signs a lifetime record deal with long-time label MCA Records. October 8 – Alan Jackson announces his final concert at Nissan Stadium, scheduled for June 27, 2026. Special guests scheduled include Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Riley Green, Cody Johnson and Lee Ann Womack. October 11 – Moments after her own induction, Kathy Mattea, alongside Terri Clark and Trisha Yearwood invites Suzy Bogguss to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry. The quartet were performing Mattea's "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" when she interrupted her own song to surprise Bogguss with the invitation. It is the first time in Opry history than an induction and invitation have occurred in the same evening. October 13 – Reid Perry announces his departure from The Band Perry, leaving sister Kimberly Perry as the only original member remaining. October 30 – Carrie Underwood becomes the highest-certified female country artist of all time. November 5 – CMT's "Hot 20 Countdown" hosted by Cody Alan is announced to end in December after twelve years on air. It was the final original regular music show still airing on the channel and its cancellation follows the departure of many key staff members and productions since the channel's owner, Paramount Skydance, completed their merger in August 2025. December 8 – Maddie & Tae announce their split after fifteen years as a duo. December 31 – Terri Clark is announced as a member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour.
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 2025:
Singles released by American and Australian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences1421"3,2,1"Tucker Wetmore941"4x4xU"Lainey Wilson811"After All the Bars Are Closed"Thomas Rhett1——"All the Way"BigXthaPlug featuring Bailey Zimmerman12226"Am I Okay?"Megan Moroney411"Back in the Saddle"Luke Combs1624"Backseat Driver"Kane Brown621"Backup Plan"Bailey Zimmerman featuring Luke Combs621"Bar None"Jordan Davis20429"Bigger Houses"Dan + Shay611"Bottle Rockets"Scotty McCreery featuring Hootie & the Blowfish18229"Boys Back Home"Dylan Marlowe featuring Dylan Scott421641"Coming Home"Old Dominion2727"Country House"Sam Hunt2539"Country Song Came On"Luke Bryan162436"Cowboys Cry Too"Kelsea Ballerini featuring Noah Kahan1714"Cowgirl"Parmalee28106"Damn Good Day to Leave"Riley Green13110"Darlin'"Chase Matthew511"Don't Mind If I Do"Riley Green featuring Ella Langley10——"Eyes Are Closed"Morgan Wallen14239"Fix What You Didn't Break"Nate Smith25250"Forever to Me"Cole Swindell30919"Friday Night Heartbreaker"Jon Pardi1621"Friends Like That"John Morgan featuring Jason Aldean16043"The Giver"Chappell Roan311"Good News"Shaboozey19126"Good Times & Tan Lines"Zach Top751"Guy for That"Post Malone featuring Luke Combs20147"Hands of Time"Eric Church611"Happen to Me"Russell Dickerson122460"Hard Fought Hallelujah"Brandon Lake featuring Jelly Roll1412"Heart of Stone"Jelly Roll20239"Heavens to Betsy"Jackson Dean8——"Hell at Night"BigXthaPlug featuring Ella Langley131040"Holy Smokes"Bailey Zimmerman21134"Hometown Home"LoCash1221"I Ain't Sayin'"Jordan Davis111"I Got Better"Morgan Wallen621"I Never Lie"Zach Top538—"I'm a Little Crazy"Morgan Wallen736"I'm Gonna Love You"Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood111"I'm the Problem"Morgan Wallen83757"Indigo"Sam Barber featuring Avery Anna211"Just in Case"Morgan Wallen—1628"Just to Say We Did"Kenny Chesney9——"Kick Myself"Morgan Wallen511"Liar"Jelly Roll111"Love Somebody"Morgan Wallen5——"Miami"2411"Park"Tyler Hubbard23139"Smile"Morgan Wallen713"Somewhere Over Laredo"Lainey Wilson—1821"Straight Line"Keith Urban55857"Superman"Morgan Wallen1621"Texas"Blake Shelton121210"Think I'm in Love with You"Chris Stapleton27111"This Heart"Corey Kent17139"This Town's Been Too Good to Us"Dylan Scott461241"Tough People"Drew Baldridge242—"Travelin' Soldier"Cody Johnson—1835"Truck on Fire"Carly Pearce421"Weren't for the Wind"Ella Langley15547"What I Want"Morgan Wallen featuring Tate McRae15244"What Kinda Man"Parker McCollum24239"Whiskey Drink"Jason Aldean623"Wind Up Missin' You"Tucker Wetmore511"Worst Way"Riley Green
Singles released by Canadian artists SongsAirplayCanadaSingleArtistReferences––7"Another One"Brett Kissel––3"Backfire"Nate Haller and Tenille Townes"Backfire": ––4"Bourbon"Morgan Griffiths"Bourbon": ––9"Broken Heart Thing"Madeline Merlo (featuring Dustin Lynch)"Broken Heart Thing": "Middle of the Bed": ––12"Coming Home to You (Bigger Houses)"MacKenzie Porter and Owen Riegling"Have Your Beer": "Happy Ever After You": "Coming Home to You (Bigger Houses)": ––4"Cowboys & Dreamers"Brett Kissel––6"CRZY"Dallas Smith"CRZY": "How Do You Miss Me": ––7"Doin' What She Does"Tyler Joe Miller"What Good Is a Memory": "Doin' What She Does": ––11"Happy Ever After You"MacKenzie Porter & Jake Etheridge (Thelma & James)––9"Have Your Beer"MacKenzie Porter––6"Highway Money"Josh Stumpf––4"How Do You Miss Me"Dallas Smith (featuring Alexandra Kay)––4"Leave Me Too"Josh Ross*"Single Again": "Single Again" (US): "Leave Me Too": ––13"Life for Me"Jess Moskaluke––10"Middle of the Bed"Madeline Merlo––5"Never Drinking Again"The Reklaws"Never Drinking Again": ––15"Options"Cameron Whitcomb––8"Quitter"Cameron Whitcomb––13"Rally Around"Sully Burrows"Rally Around": 2222"Single Again"Josh Ross––18"Slow Go the Days"Tim and the Glory Boys"Slow Go the Days": ––7"Smoke"Zach McPhee"Smoke": ––6"Things My Mama Says"Hailey Benedict"Things My Mama Says": ––17"Til I Don't"Sacha––7"What Good Is a Memory"Tyler Joe Miller––6"Worth the Double"Jade Eagleson"Worth the Double": ––3"You Didn't Hear It From Me"James Barker Band"You Didn't Hear It From Me":
Top new album releases
AlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReference430 Number One HitsJason AldeanBroken Bow/MaconOctober 104Ain't in It for My HealthZach TopLeo33August 294Country! Country!HardyBig LoudSeptember 263Different Night Same RodeoBailey ZimmermanWarner Nashville/AtlanticAugust 85Evangeline vs. the MachineEric ChurchUMG NashvilleMay 28For Recreational Use OnlyBlake SheltonWheelhouseMay 94Foxes in the SnowJason IsbellSoutheasternMarch 72The High RoadKane BrownRCA NashvilleJanuary 242I Hope You're HappyBigXthaPlugUnitedMastersAugust 221I'm the ProblemMorgan WallenBig LoudMay 166Learn the Hard WayJordan DavisMCA NashvilleAugust 159Mount PleasantKelsea BalleriniBlack RiverNovember 144Own Worst EnemyGavin AdcockThrivin' Here/Warner NashvilleAugust 156Parker McCollumParker McCollumMCA NashvilleJune 272Snipe HunterTyler ChildersRCA NashvilleJuly 2510Texas ForeverHudson WestbrookRiverHouseJuly 253West Texas DegenerateTreaty Oak RevivalTORNovember 284What Not ToTucker WetmoreUMG NashvilleApril 25
Other top albums AlbumArtistRecord labelRelease dateReference29ArcadiaAlison Krauss & Union StationDown the RoadMarch 2829BarbaraOld DominionRCA NashvilleAugust 2241Broken BranchesDierks BentleyCapitol NashvilleJune 1347Country! (EP)HardyBig LoudMay 249Easy Does ItDylan ScottCurbMay 3034Famous Back HomeRussell DickersonTriple TigersAugust 2227Honkytonk HollywoodJon PardiCapitol NashvilleApril 1150I Didn't Come Here to LeaveChris YoungBlack RiverOctober 1726Life Is a Highway: Refueled DuetsRascal FlattsBig MachineJune 625Lonesome DrifterCharley CrockettIsland RecordsMarch 1427Look UpRingo StarrUMG NashvilleJanuary 1021Memories and EmptiesColter WallLa Honda/RCANovember 1438The MirrorTrisha YearwoodMCA NashvilleJuly 1828The Price of AdmissionTurnpike TroubadoursBossier City RecordsApril 1112Relapse, Lies & BetrayalWarren ZeidersWarner RecordsMarch 1436Second WindAlexandra KayWheelhouseOctober 2412The SelectTy MyersCapitol NashvilleJanuary 2449Snow Globe TownBrad PaisleyMercury NashvilleNovember 717SongbirdWaylon JenningsThirty TigersOctober 348Spanish MossCole SwindellWarner NashvilleJune 2724WestwardDylan GossettBig Loud TexasJuly 18
Hall of Fame inductees Country Music Hall of Fame (announced on March 25, 2025) Tony Brown (born 1946) June Carter Cash (1929–2003) Kenny Chesney (born 1968)
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (announced on June 3, 2025) Lisa Brokop (born 1973) Joe Wood
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (announced on July 16, 2025) Hot Rize Bluegrass Cardinals Arnold Shultz
Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars who were honored in 2025 Trisha Yearwood
Kennedy Center Honors George Strait
Deaths January 1 – Chad Morgan, 91, Australian country singer and guitarist January 4 – Eddie London, 68, American country singer ("If We Can't Do It Right") January 13 – Buck White, 94, American bluegrass instrumentalist, member of The Whites