The all-genre Grammy Awards ceremony dates back to May of 1959, when the first iteration of the awards show was held in tandem in two ballrooms: One in Beverly Hills, Calif.; the other in New York, NY. Even back then, the country genre had a place in the awards show, with The Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley" winning Best Country & Western Performance. Over the years, the country categories on offer fleshed out, and today's Grammy Awards feature awards in the categories of Best Solo Country Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song and Best Country Album. But country stars have made waves in the show's all-genre categories, too: In 2019, Kacey Musgraves swept the show, winning all three of the country categories in which she'd been nominated and also bringing home the Album of the Year trophy, too.
- First Ceremony: May 4, 1959
- Did You Know…: In 1998, Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes were nominated in the same category…for the same song! The pair were both up for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for different renditions of “How Do I Live.” In the end, Yearwood took home the trophy.
- Required Reading: Everything You Need to Know About Grammy Awards Voting, 1973 Grammy Awards: When Nashville Hosted Music’s Biggest Night, Top 10 Grammy Awards Moments, Grammys History: A Look Back at Roger Miller’s 11 Wins in 2 Years, Every Grammy Awards Best Country Album Winner Ever, Country Artists With the Most Grammy Awards Wins, 8 Country Icons Who Have Never Won a Grammy