Album of the Year

This Award goes to the artist, producer, and mix engineer. The Award is for a Country album as a whole unit as defined by the Billboard Album charts. The album should be judged on all aspects including, but not limited to, artist’s performance, musical background, engineering, packaging, design, art, layout and liner notes. At least 75% of the recordings on the album must have achieved peak national prominence during the eligibility period. Greatest hits albums or compilation albums consisting of previously released recordings are not eligible for this award.

The album must have charted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart for the first time during the eligibility period. However, if the album charted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart prior to the eligibility period, but achieved its highest chart position for the first time during the eligibility period, it is eligible unless it has previously appeared on a Final Ballot in this category.

Updated, revised, or expanded versions of previously released albums are not eligible if the initial album previously appeared on a Final Ballot.