Single of the Year

This Award recognizes the single recording with the greatest commercial and cultural impact. The Award, unlike Song of the Year, goes to the artist, producer, and mix engineer.

The single must have reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, or Country Aircheck Chart for the first time during the eligibility period.  If the single charted in the Top 10 on the above charts and was released prior to the eligibility period but achieved its highest chart position during the eligibility period, it is eligible unless it has previously appeared on a Final Ballot in this category.

The First Ballot will contain a full list of all eligible singles based on charting activity during the eligibility period.

In this category, the Second Ballot will contain the eligible nominations from the First Ballot and the Top 5 singles from the combined tabulation of the Country Singles Charts from Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, and Country Aircheck Chart.