2002 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2002.
Events
- November 19 – Shania Twain returned with her fourth album, Up!. It opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 874,000 copies; the album remained atop the chart until the new year.
Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 2002:| US | Single | Artist | Reference |
| 18 | All Over Me | Blake Shelton | |
| 5 | American Child | Phil Vassar | |
| 1 | Beautiful Mess | Diamond Rio | |
| 15 | Before I Knew Better | Brad Martin | |
| 1 | Blessed | Martina McBride | |
| 1 | Bring On the Rain | Jo Dee Messina with Tim McGraw | |
| 1 | Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue | Toby Keith | |
| 1 | The Cowboy in Me | Tim McGraw | |
| 12 | Cry | Faith Hill | |
| 1 | Drive | Alan Jackson | |
| 12 | Every River | Brooks & Dunn | |
| 12 | Forgive | Rebecca Lynn Howard | |
| 1 | Good Morning Beautiful | Steve Holy | |
| 1 | The Good Stuff | Kenny Chesney | |
| 17 | Help Me Understand | Trace Adkins | |
| 1 | I Breathe In, I Breathe Out | Chris Cagle | |
| 18 | I Cry | Tammy Cochran | |
| 2 | I Don't Have to Be Me | Steve Azar | |
| 7 | I Don't Want You to Go | Carolyn Dawn Johnson | |
| 5 | I Keep Looking | Sara Evans | |
| 1 | I Miss My Friend | Darryl Worley | |
| 4 | I Should Be Sleeping | Emerson Drive | |
| 7 | I'm Gonna Getcha Good! | Shania Twain | |
| 1 | I'm Gonna Miss Her | Brad Paisley | |
| 4 | I'm Movin' On | Rascal Flatts | |
| 3 | The Impossible | Joe Nichols | |
| 10 | In Another World | Joe Diffie | |
| 9 | Just Let Me Be in Love | Tracy Byrd | |
| 13 | Just What I Do | Trick Pony | |
| 2 | Landslide | Dixie Chicks | |
| 20 | Life Happened | Tammy Cochran | |
| 1 | Living and Living Well | George Strait | |
| 1 | The Long Goodbye | Brooks & Dunn | |
| 2 | Long Time Gone | Dixie Chicks | |
| 8 | Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde | Travis Tritt | |
| 5 | My Heart Is Lost to You | Brooks & Dunn | |
| 1 | My List | Toby Keith | |
| 5 | My Town | Montgomery Gentry | |
| 3 | Not a Day Goes By | Lonestar | |
| 14 | Ol' Red | Blake Shelton | |
| 3 | The One | Gary Allan | |
| 5 | Red Ragtop | Tim McGraw | |
| 16 | Saints & Angels | Sara Evans | |
| 11 | She Was | Mark Chesnutt | |
| 1 | She'll Leave You with a Smile | George Strait | |
| 7 | Some Days You Gotta Dance | Dixie Chicks | |
| 1 | Somebody Like You | Keith Urban | |
| 20 | Something Worth Leaving Behind | Lee Ann Womack | |
| 16 | Squeeze Me In | Garth Brooks duet with Trisha Yearwood | |
| 13 | Strong Enough to Be Your Man | Travis Tritt | |
| 1 | Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo | Tracy Byrd | |
| 16 | That's Just Jessie | Kevin Denney | |
| 3 | That's When I Love You | Phil Vassar | |
| 1 | These Days | Rascal Flatts | |
| 18 | Thicker Than Blood | Garth Brooks | |
| 19 | 'Til Nothing Comes Between Us | John Michael Montgomery | |
| 7 | Tonight I Wanna Be Your Man | Andy Griggs | |
| 1 | Unbroken | Tim McGraw | |
| 2 | What If She's an Angel | Tommy Shane Steiner | |
| 8 | When You Lie Next to Me | Kellie Coffey | |
| 2 | Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly | Aaron Tippin | |
| 3 | Where Would You Be | Martina McBride | |
| 1 | Who's Your Daddy? | Toby Keith | |
| 3 | Work in Progress | Alan Jackson | |
| 2 | Wrapped Around | Brad Paisley | |
| 5 | Wrapped Up in You | Garth Brooks | |
| 2 | Young | Kenny Chesney |
Top new album releases
The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2002:| US | Album | Artist | Record Label | Reference |
| 8 | ' | George Strait | MCA Nashville | - |
| 9 | The Almeria Club Recordings | Hank Williams, Jr. | Curb | - |
| 4 | American Child | Phil Vassar | Arista Nashville | - |
| 2 | ' | Johnny Cash | Lost Highway | - |
| 3 | Completely | Diamond Rio | Arista Nashville | - |
| 1 | Cry | Faith Hill | Warner Bros. | - |
| 1 | Drive | Alan Jackson | Arista Nashville | - |
| 1 | Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits | Elvis Presley | RCA | - |
| 5 | Forgive | Rebecca Lynn Howard | MCA Nashville | - |
| 7 | Freedom | Andy Griggs | RCA Nashville | - |
| 2 | Golden Road | Keith Urban | Capitol Nashville | - |
| 5 | The Great Divide | Willie Nelson | Lost Highway | - |
| 4 | Halos & Horns | Dolly Parton | Blue Eye | - |
| 1 | Home | Dixie Chicks | Open Wide | - |
| 1 | I Miss My Friend | Darryl Worley | DreamWorks Nashville | - |
| 7 | Jerusalem | Steve Earle | E-Squared | - |
| 3 | Knock on the Sky | SHeDAISY | Lyric Street | - |
| 6 | Let It Be Christmas | Alan Jackson | Arista Nashville | - |
| 9 | Live | Alison Krauss & Union Station | Rounder | - |
| 9 | Man with a Memory | Joe Nichols | Universal South | - |
| 1 | Melt | Rascal Flatts | Lyric Street | - |
| 3 | My Town | Montgomery Gentry | Columbia | - |
| 1 | No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems | Kenny Chesney | BNA | - |
| 8 | Rise and Shine | Randy Travis | Word/Curb | - |
| 7 | Various Artists | RCA Nashville | - | |
| 9 | Side Tracks | Steve Earle | E-Squared | - |
| 2 | Something Worth Leaving Behind | Lee Ann Womack | MCA Nashville | - |
| 10 | Stars & Stripes | Aaron Tippin | Lyric Street | - |
| 4 | Strong Enough | Travis Tritt | Columbia | - |
| 6 | Then Came the Night | Tommy Shane Steiner | RCA Nashville | - |
| 2 | This Side | Nickel Creek | Sugar Hill | - |
| 2 | Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors | Tim McGraw | Curb | - |
| 2 | Totally Country | Various Artists | BNA | - |
| 5 | Totally Country Vol. 2 | Various Artists | Epic | - |
| 3 | Twisted Angel | LeAnn Rimes | Curb | - |
| 1 | Unleashed | Toby Keith | DreamWorks Nashville | - |
| 1 | Up! | Shania Twain | Mercury Nashville | - |
| 5 | When You Lie Next to Me | Kellie Coffey | BNA | - |
Other top albums
Deaths
- February 13 – Waylon Jennings, 64, singer and guitarist
- March 3 – Harlan Howard, 74, songwriter
- May 26 – Orville Couch, 67, singer-songwriter
Hall of Fame inductees
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees
- The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover
- David Freeman
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Bill Carlisle
- Porter Wagoner
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Anne Murray
- Art Snider
- Bev Munro
- D'Arcy Scott
- Elmer Tippe
Major awards
ARIA Awards
- Best Country Album – Barricades & Brickwalls
- ARIA Hall of Fame – Olivia Newton-John
Grammy Awards
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "Cry"
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Give My Love to Rose"
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "Long Time Gone"
- Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Mendocino County Line"
- Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Lil' Jack Slade"
- Best Country Song – "Where Were You "
- Best Country Album – Home
- Best Bluegrass Album – Lost in the Lonesome Pines
Juno Awards
- Country Recording of the Year – "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!", Shania Twain
CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards
- Video of the Year – "Young", Kenny Chesney
- Male Video of the Year – "Young", Kenny Chesney
- Female Video of the Year – "Blessed", Martina McBride
- Group / Duo Video of the Year – "Only in America", Brooks & Dunn
- Breakthrough Video of the Year – "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out", Chris Cagle
- Video Collaboration of the Year – "Mendocino County Line", Willie Nelson Featuring Lee Ann Womack
- Hottest Video of the Year – "The Cowboy in Me", Tim McGraw
- Concept Video of the Year – "I'm Gonna Miss Her ", Brad Paisley
- Fashion Plate Video of the Year – "Jezebel", Chely Wright
- "LOL" Video of the Year – "I Wanna Talk About Me", Toby Keith
- Love Your Country Video of the Year – "Where Were You ", Alan Jackson
- Video Director of the Year – "I Wanna Talk About Me", Toby Keith
- Video Visionary Award – Dixie Chicks
Americana Music Honors & Awards
- Album of the Year – Buddy & Julie Miller
- Artist of the Year – Jim Lauderdale
- Song of the Year – "She's Looking At Me"
- Instrumentalist of the Year – Jerry Douglas
- Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award – Johnny Cash
- Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – Billie Joe Shaver
- Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Emmylou Harris
- Lifetime Achievement: Executive – T Bone Burnett
Academy of Country Music
- Entertainer of the Year – Toby Keith
- Song of the Year – "I'm Movin' On", Rascal Flatts
- Single of the Year – "The Good Stuff," Kenny Chesney
- Album of the Year – Drive, Alan Jackson
- Top Male Vocalist – Kenny Chesney
- Top Female Vocalist – Martina McBride
- Top Vocal Duo – Brooks & Dunn
- Top Vocal Group – Rascal Flatts
- Top New Male Vocalist – Joe Nichols
- Top New Female Vocalist – Kellie Coffey
- Top New Vocal Duo or Group – Emerson Drive
- Video of the Year – "Drive ", Alan Jackson
- Vocal Event of the Year – "Mendocino County Line", Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack
Canadian Country Music Association
- Fans' Choice Award – Terri Clark
- Male Artist of the Year – Paul Brandt
- Female Artist of the Year – Carolyn Dawn Johnson
- Group or Duo of the Year – Emerson Drive
- SOCAN Song of the Year – "Ten Million Teardrops", Jason McCoy, Tim Taylor
- Single of the Year – "I Don't Want You to Go", Carolyn Dawn Johnson
- Album of the Year – Small Towns and Big Dreams, Paul Brandt
- Top Selling Album – Scarecrow, Garth Brooks
- CMT Video of the Year – "I Don't Want You to Go", Carolyn Dawn Johnson
- Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award – Emerson Drive
- Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Jimmy Rankin
Country Music Association
- Entertainer of the Year – Alan Jackson
- Song of the Year – "Where Were You," Alan Jackson
- Single of the Year – "Where Were You," Alan Jackson
- Album of the Year – Drive, Alan Jackson
- Male Vocalist of the Year – Alan Jackson
- Female Vocalist of the Year – Martina McBride
- Vocal Duo of the Year – Brooks & Dunn
- Vocal Group of the Year – Dixie Chicks
- Musician of the Year – Jerry Douglas
- Horizon Award – Rascal Flatts
- Music Video of the Year – "I'm Gonna Miss Her," Brad Paisley
- Vocal Event of the Year – "Mendocino County Line", Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack
- Musician of the Year – Jerry Douglas
Other links
- Country Music Association
- Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame