Carrie Underwood's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Carrie Underwood.
Carrie Underwood is an American singer and songwriter who gained fame after winning American Idol in 2005. Her debut single, "Inside Your Heaven," made her the first country artist to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), became the best-selling debut album by a solo female country artist and earned her three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. She followed this success with albums like Carnival Ride (2007), and Play On (2009), achieving numerous number-one singles and establishing herself as a leading figure in country music. She is scheduled to return as an American Idol judge in 2025.
May 25, 2005: Wins American Idol Season 4
On May 25, 2005, Carrie Underwood was declared the winner of season four of American Idol. Her winnings included a recording contract, use of a private jet, and a Ford Mustang convertible.
June 14, 2005: Release of "Inside Your Heaven"
On June 14, 2005, Carrie Underwood released her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first country artist ever to debut at number one on the Hot 100.
December 2005: Named Oklahoman of the Year
In December 2005, Carrie Underwood was recognized as Oklahoman of the Year by Oklahoma Today, honoring her achievements and contributions.
2005: First voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA
In 2005, Carrie Underwood was first voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA alongside Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. This award recognized her commitment to animal welfare and vegetarian lifestyle.
2005: Wins American Idol
In 2005, Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol, which launched her to stardom.
2005: Billboard Music Awards
In 2005, Carrie Underwood's song "Inside Your Heaven" won Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year and Top-Selling Country Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. She also won Country Single Sales Artist of the Year.
December 2006: Performed on The Oprah Winfrey Show and at Kennedy Center Honors
In December 2006, Carrie Underwood performed "For Once in My Life" on The Oprah Winfrey Show alongside Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, and Josh Groban. She also paid tribute to Dolly Parton at the Kennedy Center Honors, singing "Islands in the Stream" with Kenny Rogers. Additionally, she joined the USO Christmas Tour in Iraq during the 2006 holiday season.
2006: Wins Multiple Awards
In 2006, Carrie Underwood won Top New Female Vocalist and Single of the Year for "Jesus, Take the Wheel" at the Academy of Country Music Awards. She also won the Horizon Award and Female Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. At the CMT Awards, she won Breakthrough Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for "Jesus, Take The Wheel".
2006: Best-Selling Album of 2006
In 2006, Carrie Underwood's album Some Hearts became the best-selling album of the year in all genres in the United States.
June 2007: Named Sexiest Female Musician by Victoria's Secret
In 2007, Victoria's Secret named Carrie Underwood the Sexiest Female Musician, recognizing her appeal and influence.
2007: Billboard Year-End Charts and American Music Awards
At the end of 2007, Carrie Underwood topped five Billboard Year-End charts, including Billboard 200 Artist of the Year and Country Artist of the Year. She also won three American Music Awards for Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Country Artist, and Favorite Country Album for Some Hearts.
2007: Carnival Ride Release
In 2007, Carrie Underwood released 'Carnival Ride', her second studio album, which sold over half a million copies in its first week and won two Grammy Awards.
2007: Voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA
In 2007, Carrie Underwood was voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA for the second time, highlighting her commitment to vegetarianism and animal rights. She previously won the title in 2005.
2007: Top Country Album
In 2007, Carrie Underwood's album Some Hearts was the best-selling country album, making her the first female artist in Billboard history to earn back-to-back honors for Top Country Album.
2007: Grammy Awards
In 2007, at the 49th Grammy Awards, Carrie Underwood received four Grammy nominations and won two Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Jesus, Take the Wheel".
2007: Awards at Academy of Country Music Awards
In 2007, at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood won Album of the Year, Video of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year. Her song "Before He Cheats" won three awards at the CMT Awards including Video of the Year.
February 2008: "Before He Cheats" Certified Double Platinum
In February 2008, "Before He Cheats" became the first country song to ever be certified multi-platinum, reaching double Platinum status.
August 2008: "Jesus, Take the Wheel" Ringtone Certified Platinum
In August 2008, the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" ringtone was certified Platinum, making Carrie Underwood the first country artist ever to have two songs hit Platinum Mastertone status together with "Before He Cheats".
2008: Underwood Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry
In 2008, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry for her many accomplishments in country music.
2008: ACM and CMA Awards
In 2008, Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards for the second consecutive time. She also co-hosted the Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley, winning Female Vocalist of the Year for the third year in a row. At the American Music Awards, Carnival Ride won Favorite Country Album.
2008: Won first International Award
In 2008, Carrie Underwood won her first international award for Female Vocalist of the Year at the European Country Music Association Awards.
December 2009: Underwood Receives Harmony Award
In December 2009, Carrie Underwood was awarded the Harmony Award from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra for her achievements in music across many genres.
December 2009: Billboard's Country Album and Artist Rankings
In December 2009, Carrie Underwood's 'Some Hearts' was named the number-one Country Album of the 2000 Decade by Billboard, and Underwood was also the top-ranked female artist on Billboard's Best Country Artists of the 2000 Decade list.
2009: CMA Awards Nominations
In 2009, Carrie Underwood received two nominations at the CMA Awards and co-hosted the ceremony with Brad Paisley for the second consecutive year.
2009: Underwood Inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
In 2009, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame for her contributions to music.
2009: Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance
In 2009, at the 51st Grammy Awards, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Last Name", marking her third consecutive win in this category. She also received nominations for Video of the Year at the CMT Awards for "Just A Dream".
April 2010: Entertainer of the Year and ACM Triple Crown Award
In April 2010, at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood was named Entertainer of the Year, becoming the first woman to win the award twice. She also received the "ACM Triple Crown Award."
May 2010: People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People List
In May 2010, Carrie Underwood was selected on People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People List for the fourth consecutive year. Also in May, Victoria's Secret named her legs the Sexiest Legs in Hollywood.
December 3, 2010: CMT Artists of the Year Special
On December 3, 2010, Carrie Underwood was honored as one of the top 5 artists of the year in country music at the CMT Artists of the Year special.
December 2010: Ranked Among Top Tours
In December 2010, Pollstar.com ranked Carrie Underwood's Play On Tour among the Top 50 tours of the year, placing it at number one in North America and number 31 worldwide.
2010: Billboard Names Underwood Top Female Country Artist
At the turn of the 2010 decade, Billboard named Carrie Underwood the top female country artist and seventh overall country artist, acknowledging her significant impact.
2010: Fifth Grammy Award
In 2010, at the 52nd Grammy Awards, Carrie Underwood won her fifth Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "I Told You So" with Randy Travis. She also performed during the Michael Jackson tribute.
2010: Underwood Achieves Ten Number-One Singles
In 2010, with the singles from her third album, Play On, Carrie Underwood achieved ten career number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs chart.
January 4, 2011: Top Female Country Touring Artist
On January 4, 2011, it was revealed that Carrie Underwood played to over 1 million fans during her Play On Tour, leading to her being named the top-ranked female country touring artist of the year.
May 2011: Honored at Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country
In May 2011, Carrie Underwood was honored by the Academy of Country Music at the Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country special for being the first and only female artist to win Entertainer of the Year twice. During the event, she also performed "How Great Thou Art" with Vince Gill, which became a viral sensation.
June 2011: Rolling Stone's Queen of Pop Ranking
In June 2011, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Carrie Underwood as the number 11 Queen of Pop, based on criteria from 2009 until 2011.
2011: Underwood expands Guinness Book record
Between 2011 and 2014, Carrie Underwood broke and expanded her Guinness Book record by scoring four more number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs, bringing her total to fourteen.
2012: Billboard Names Underwood Country Music's Reigning Queen
In 2012, Billboard magazine referred to Carrie Underwood as Country Music's reigning Queen, acknowledging her significant presence and influence in the genre.
2012: Blown Away Album Release
In 2012, Carrie Underwood achieved the second-best selling female release of the year and won a Grammy Award with her fourth album, Blown Away.
2012: Ranked in The Hockey News' list of 100 People of Power and Influence
In 2012, Carrie Underwood was selected by The Hockey News on its annual list of the 100 People of Power and Influence in Ice Hockey, ranking at number 85. This recognition highlights her influence beyond the music industry, particularly in connection with her husband's career.
February 22, 2013: Billboard's Top Money Makers Ranking
On February 22, 2013, Billboard ranked Carrie Underwood as the 16th money maker for the period from February 2012 to February 2013. She earned close to $12 million, being American Idol's Top Earner and second for female country artists.
June 2013: Forbes' The Celebrity 100 List
In June 2013, Forbes placed Carrie Underwood at number 46 on The Celebrity 100 list, reporting that she earned more than $31 million between June 2012 and June 2013, being the top-earning American Idol, and also being one of the ten highest-paid women in music of 2013.
2013: Underwood Receives Artist Achievement Award
In 2013, Carrie Underwood received the Artist Achievement Award at the 38th Annual New York Honors Gala held by the T.J. Martell Foundation.
2014: Underwood expands Guinness Book record
Between 2011 and 2014, Carrie Underwood broke and expanded her Guinness Book record by scoring four more number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs, bringing her total to fourteen.
2014: Underwood Honored with CRB Artist Humanitarian Award
In 2014, Carrie Underwood was honored by the Country Radio Broadcasters' Board of Directors with the CRB Artist Humanitarian Award at the 2014 Country Radio Seminar.
2014: Wins Milestone Award and AMA
In 2014, Carrie Underwood won the Milestone Award at the Billboard Music Awards, recognizing her chart success. She also won Favorite Female Country Artist at the American Music Awards, marking her eighth AMA win. Additionally, Time listed Underwood as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
2014: Greatest Hits: Decade #1 Release
In 2014, Carrie Underwood's compilation album, 'Greatest Hits: Decade #1', broke multiple chart and sales records and spawned the Grammy-winning crossover single "Something in the Water".
2014: Rolling Stone Praises Underwood
In 2014, Rolling Stone described Carrie Underwood as "the female vocalist of her generation of any genre," highlighting her vocal prowess.
2014: Underwood Featured in Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2014, Time featured Carrie Underwood in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Brad Paisley praised her as a prolific songwriter, trendsetter, and Opry member, calling her "the best singer in any format of music."
2014: Named One of the 100 Most Influential People by TIME
In 2014, Time listed Carrie Underwood as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
2015: Wins Grammy, Billboard and CMT awards
In 2015, Carrie Underwood won Best Country Solo Performance for "Something in the Water" at the 57th Grammy Awards, marking her seventh Grammy Award. She also won Top Christian Song for "Something in the Water" at the Billboard Music Awards and three awards at the CMT Music Awards, including Video of the Year for "Something in the Water". She won her ninth American Music Award in 2015, winning Favorite Female Country Artist.
2015: The Guardian Praises Underwood
In 2015, Grady Smith of The Guardian praised Carrie Underwood, recognizing her as the leader of country music.
June 2016: Wins CMT Music Awards
In June 2016, Carrie Underwood received three nominations from the CMT Music Awards, taking home two honors for "Smoke Break".
September 2016: Receives ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber Award
In September 2016, Carrie Underwood was the first artist to receive the ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber Award, recognizing her continuous work with charities.
October 20, 2016: Honored as CMT Artist of the Year
On October 20, 2016, Carrie Underwood was honored as one of CMT Artists of the Year, marking her third year to receive the award. She also won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.
January 2017: Wins People's Choice Award and Performs at Grammy Awards
In January 2017, Carrie Underwood received her ninth People's Choice award, winning Favorite Female Country Artist. She and Keith Urban also performed their new single, "The Fighter", at the Grammy ceremony.
2017: Underwood Inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame
In 2017, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for her achievements in music, marking a significant honor.
2017: Wins Teen Choice Award and American Music Award
In 2017, Carrie Underwood won Choice Country Artist at the Teen Choice Awards for a third consecutive year. She also won Favorite Female Artist – Country at the American Music Awards for the fourth year in a row.
September 2018: Underwood Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
In September 2018, Carrie Underwood received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her numerous achievements in music.
November 14, 2018: Hosts CMA Awards and Wins Female Vocalist of the Year
On November 14, 2018, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood hosted the 52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards, where she picked up her fifth win as the CMA's Female Vocalist of the Year.
2018: Wins CMT Music Award and Radio Disney Music Award
In 2018, Carrie Underwood received four nominations and one win for the CMT Music Awards. Also in June 2018, she was honored with the Hero award from the Radio Disney Music Awards in recognition of her humanitarian efforts.
2018: Underwood Receives Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In 2018, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognizing her achievements in music.
December 2019: Kennedy Center Honors Tribute
In December 2019, Carrie Underwood attended the Kennedy Center Honors and paid tribute to Linda Ronstadt by performing two of her songs.
2019: 54th Academy of Country Music Awards and CMT Music Awards
In 2019, Carrie Underwood received a nomination for Female Artist of the Year at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards and performed "Southbound". She also received two nominations for the Billboard Music Awards, winning Top Female Country Artist. At the CMT Music Awards, her videos for "Cry Pretty" and "Love Wins" received nominations, with both winning Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year, respectively. The music video for "Southbound" premiered on June 8, 2019.
September 2020: Underwood Wins Third Entertainer of the Year Award
In September 2020, Carrie Underwood won her third Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music, making her the first woman in history to achieve this milestone.
October 2021: Underwood Scores 16th Number One on Country Airplay
In October 2021, Carrie Underwood scored her 16th number one on the Country Airplay chart with the joint single "If I Didn't Love You".
2021: Latin American Music Awards Performance
In 2021, Carrie Underwood joined David Bisbal at the Latin American Music Awards for the debut televised performance of "Tears of Gold" in Sunrise, Florida; the pair were nominated for Favorite Video of the Year.
2021: My Savior Album Release and Grammy Win
In 2021, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album with her first gospel album, 'My Savior'.
April 3, 2022: Grammy Win and "Ghost Story" Performance
On April 3, 2022, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album and gave the debut performance of "Ghost Story" at the ceremony.
April 2022: Grammy Win for My Savior
In April 2022, Carrie Underwood won a Grammy for Best Gospel Album for her album, My Savior.
2023: Rolling Stone Ranks Underwood as One of the Greatest Singers
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Carrie Underwood at number 158 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, recognizing her acclaimed vocals.
2025: Billboard Ranks Underwood Among Top Women Artists
Billboard ranked Carrie Underwood at number 13 on its 2025 "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" list, recognizing her sustained influence.
Mentioned in this timeline
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