This is the first spotlight in our ACM Awards Spotlight series and will be spotlighting the ACM Video of the Year category. We will begin with this year’s Video of the Year nominees and work our way back to when the first Video of the Year award was given out in 1984. So let’s get started.
2009
- “Boots On” – Randy Houser
- “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
- “Welcome to the Future” – Brad Paisley
- “White Liar” – Miranda Lambert
- “You Belong With Me” – Taylor Swift
This is Brad Paisley’s eighth nomination in eleven years and he has taken home the award four times including each of the past two years. This year marks the first nominations in this category for newcomer Randy Houser and this year’s most nominated artist, Lady Antebellum. Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift are enjoying their second nominations in this category
- “Waitin’ on a Woman” – Brad Paisley
- “Troubadour” – George Strait
- “Love Story” – Taylor Swift
- “Just a Dream” – Carrie Underwood
- “Johnny & June” – Heidi Newfield
Brad Paisley won for his fourth time in this category in the last five years with one of his best videos featuring the legendary Andy Griffith.
- “Online” – Brad Paisley
- “Watching You” – Rodney Atkins
- “Stay” – Sugarland
- “Don’t Blink” – Kenny Chesney
- “Lost In This Moment” – Big & Rich
Going into the ceremony, this was a toss up between Sugarland’s emotional “Stay” and Paisley’s hilarious and cameo-driven “Online.” It was Paisley who edged out Jennifer and Kristian.
- “Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood
- “Hillbilly Deluxe” – Brooks & Dunn
- “The Seashores of Old Mexico” – George Strait
- “Amarillo Sky” – Jason Aldean
- “8th of November” – Big & Rich
There was no contest this year. The biggest hit of 2006 and one of the biggest of the decade rightfully took home the award.
- “When I Get Where I’m Going” – Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton
- “Kerosene” – Miranda Lambert
- “I May Hate Myself in the Morning” – Lee Ann Womack
- “Believe” – Brooks & Dunn
- “As Good As I Once Was” – Toby Keith
Brad Paisley scored his second straight win in this category with another duet, this time with Dolly Parton.
- “Whiskey Lullaby” – Brad Paisley featuring Alison Krauss
- “Redneck Woman” – Gretchen Wilson
- “Save a Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” – Big & Rich
- “Live Like You Were Dyin’” – Tim McGraw
- “Girls Lie Too” – Terri Clark
In his fourth nomination, Brad Paisley finally took home his first ACM for Video of the Year for his emotional “Whiskey Lullaby.” In a category filled with four weaker videos, it was clear Brad and Alison would win.
- “Beer For My Horses” – Toby Keith featuring Willie Nelson
- “Concrete Angel” – Martina McBride
- “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” – Alan Jackson featuring Jimmy Buffet
- “Celebrity” – Brad Paisley
- “Hurt” – Johnny Cash
In a year where five fantastic videos were nominated, most favored Johnny Cash’s video to take the win. However, Toby Keith’s duet with Willie Nelson took it home and Keith took home three other awards that night. It was his first win in six nominations.
- “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” – Alan Jackson
- “Who’s Your Daddy” – Toby Keith
- “Just What I Do” – Trick Pony
- “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” – Brad Paisley
- “Courtesy of Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” – Toby Keith
After receiving critical acclaim for his single “Drive,” Alan Jackson was the clear favorite to take home the award and come awards night he did.
- “Only In America” – Brooks & Dunn
- “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly” – Aaron Tippin
- “I’m Tryin’” – Trace Adkins
- “I Wanna Talk About Me” – Toby Keith
- “Angels In Waiting” – Tammy Cochran
After the events of the past September, all eyes were on the patriotic videos to win and it was the Brooks & Dunn hit that the Academy chose.
- “Goodbye Earl” – Dixie Chicks
- “When It All Goes South” – Alabama
- “The Way You Love Me” – Faith Hill
- “I Hope You Dance” – Lee Ann Womack
- “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This” – Toby Keith
2000 was the year of the Dixie Chicks as this was one of their three wins that night including Entertainer of the Year.
- “Breathe” – Faith Hill
- “He Didn’t Have to Be” – Brad Paisley
- “How Do You Like Me Now” – Toby Keith
- “Single White Female” – Chely Wright
- “Ready to Run” – Dixie Chicks
Hands down Faith Hill’s “Breathe” was the best video of the year. How could the Academy ignore the satin sheets? This was Faith’s third straight win for Video of the Year.
- “This Kiss” – Faith Hill
- “I’ll Go On Loving You” – Alan Jackson
- “Drive Me Wild” – Sawyer Brown
- “Getcha Some” – Toby Keith
- “Holes in the Floor of Heaven” – Steve Wariner
Faith Hill captured her second straight, and first solo, Video of the Year award after sharing a win the year before with her husband, Tim McGraw.
- “It’s Your Love” – Tim McGraw featuring Faith Hill
- “A Broken Wing” – Martina McBride
- “455 Rocket” – Kathy Mattea
- “Did I Shave My Legs For This” – Deana Carter
- “How Your Love Makes Me Feel” – Diamond Rio
The powerhouse couple of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill not only took home the Video of the Year award but also the Single, Song, and Vocal Event awards.
- “I Think About You” – Collin Raye
- “The Change” – Garth Brooks
- “My Maria” – Brooks & Dunn
- “More Than You’ll Ever Know” – Travis Tritt
- “She Never Looks Back” – Doug Supernaw
In a bit of an upset, Collin Raye defeated favorites Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn to win his only ACM award.
- “The Car” – Jeff Carson
- “My Wife Thinks You’re Dead” – Junior Brown
- “Sold” – John Michael Montgomery
- “Not That Different” – Collin Raye
- “Tell Me I Was Dreaming” – Travis Tritt
In his one and only ACM nomination, Jeff Carson defeated veterans Raye, Tritt, and Montgomery in a massive upset.
- “The Red Strokes” – Garth Brooks
- “How Can I Help You” – Patty Loveless
- “Independence Day” – Martina McBride
- “Standing Outside the Fire” – Garth Brooks
- “This Time” – Sawyer Brown
In what I think is an upset, Garth Brooks’ “The Red Strokes,” which was the better of his two nominated videos, beat Martina McBride’s brilliant video for the 1994 award. This was Garth’s third win in this category.
- “We Shall Be Free” – Garth Brooks
- “What Might Have Been” – Little Texas
- “Does He Love You” – Reba McEntire and Linda Davis
- “Chattahoochee” – Alan Jackson
- “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial” – Pam Tillis
The Reba/Linda Davis powerhouse was the clear favorite coming in but the Academy continued their love for Garth Brooks by selecting him as the winner.
- “Two Sparrows in Hurricane” – Tanya Tucker
- “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia” – Reba McEntire
- “Take it Back” – Reba McEntire
- “Lord Have Mercy on the Working Man” – Travis Tritt
- “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away” – Vince Gill
Tanya Tucker walked into the 1992 ceremony with four nominations and was able to beat out both Reba videos for her second ACM award of her career and her first since 1972.
- “Is There Life Out There?” – Reba McEntire
- “Brotherly Love” – Keith Whitley and Earl Thomas Conley
- “Anymore” – Travis Tritt
- “Mary & Willi” – K.T. Oslin
- “The Thunder Rolls” – Garth Brooks
This year pitted the king and queen of videos, Reba and Garth, against each other for the first year. It was Reba’s inspirational video that pulled off the win for her second Video of the Year trophy.
- “The Dance” – Garth Brooks
- “Pass It On Down” – Alabama
- “Love Can Build A Bridge” – The Judds
- “Come Next Monday” – K.T. Oslin
- “Here I Am” – Lyle Lovett
This was one of Garth’s six wins during the 1990 awards show, he almost swept all the awards he was nominated for but he was nominated two times in the Song of the Year category, which he won for “The Dance.”
- “There’s A Tear in my Beer” – Hank Williams Jr.
- “Planet Texas” – Kenny Rogers
- “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” – Dolly Parton
- “Cathy’s Clown” – Reba McEntire
- “High Cotton” – Alabama
Hank Williams Jr’s groundbreaking music video was the clear favorite to win. After all, it was one of the most technologically advanced videos of its time allowing him to sing with his father, Hank Williams.
- “Young Country” – Hank Williams Jr.
- “Hold Me” – K.T. Oslin
- “The Old Man No One Love” – George Jones
- “Sunday Kind of Love” – Reba McEntire
- “I’ll Always Come Back” – K.T. Oslin
Hank Williams Jr. won his second Video the Year award for his hit, “Young Country,” beating legends George Jones and Reba.
- “80’s Ladies” – K.T. Oslin
- “Santa Fe” – Bellamy Brother
- “Tar Top” – Alabama
- “My Name Is Bocephus” – Hank Williams Jr.
- “Forever and Ever, Amen” – Randy Travis
- “Little Sister” – Dwight Yoakam
For just the second year, there were a total of six nominations in this category. It was K.T. Oslin’s video that came out on top for her first ACM win.
- “Whoever’s In New England” – Reba McEntire
- “I Only Wanted You” – Marie Osmond
- “Born Yesterday” – Everly Brothers
- “Birth of Rock ‘N Roll” – Carl Perkins
- “100% Chance of Rain” – Gary Morris
Reba won her third ACM award, and her first non-Female Vocalist award, at the 1986 ceremony for her brilliant video for “Whoever’s In New England.”
- “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” – George Jones
- “Country Boy” – Ricky Scaggs
- “Forty Hour Week” – Alabama
- “Lost in the Fifties (In the Still of the Night)” – Ronnie Milsap
- “Highwayman” – The Highwaymen
George Jones’ movie-like video was awarded the ACM for Video of the Year this year, which would turn out to be his final ACM award win.
- “All My Rowdy Favorites Are Comin’ Over Tonight” – Hank Williams Jr
- “America” – Waylon Jennings
- “Mama He’s Crazy” – The Judds
- “Second Hand Heart” – Gary Morris
- “The Left Side of the Bed” – Mark Gray
- “What She Wants” – Michael Martin Murphey
Hank Williams Jr’s cameo filled video for “All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight” was the first video to be award the ACM award for Video of the Year, his first of three.
Most Nominations
- 8 – Brad Paisley, Toby Keith
- 6 – Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire
- 5 – K.T. Oslin, Alabama
Most Wins
- 4 – Brad Paisley
- 3 – Hank Williams Jr., Garth Brooks, Faith Hill
- 2 – Reba McEntire
Most Nominations Without a Win
- 5 – Alabama
- 4 – Travis Tritt
- 3 – Martina McBride
Most Consecutive Wins
- 3 – Faith Hill (1997 – 1999)
- 2 – Hank Williams Jr. (’88-’89), Garth Brooks (’93-’94), Brad Paisley (‘04-’05 & ’07-’08)
All Things Country 