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-songwriter who gained fame after winning American Idol in 2005. Her debut single, "Inside Your Heaven," made history as 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 female country artist and earned her three Grammy Awards. Subsequent albums like "Carnival Ride" (2007) and "Play On" (2009), which featured the hit "Cowboy Casanova", further solidified her success in the music industry.
1988: Randy Travis praises Carrie Underwood's cover of "I Told You So"
In 1988, fellow country music singer Randy Travis praised Carrie Underwood's voice when asked about her cover of his 1988 hit song "I Told You So", saying that "her voice is so much better suited to the song. I have a baritone voice, and her soprano voice really fits well with the range of the song. Her ability to get into the upper register of her voice and just hold those high notes is great."
1997: LeAnn Rimes' Grammy Win
In 1997, LeAnn Rimes won the Best New Artist Grammy Award. After that, Carrie Underwood became only the second country artist to ever win the award in the 56-year history of the Grammy Awards, in 2007.
2000: Album Certification Benchmark
Carrie Underwood's album Some Hearts is certified nine times platinum by the RIAA, the highest album certification of any country artist to emerge since 2000.
May 25, 2005: Winning American Idol Season Four
On May 25, 2005, Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol. Her winnings included a recording contract, use of a private jet, and a Ford Mustang convertible.
December 2005: Oklahoman of the Year
In December 2005, Carrie Underwood was named Oklahoman of the Year by Oklahoma Today.
2005: Billboard Music Awards Wins
At the 2005 Billboard Music Awards, Carrie Underwood's hit song "Inside Your Heaven" won the Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year award and also Top-Selling Country Single of the Year award, and she won Country Single Sales Artist of the Year.
2005: Named "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA
In 2005, Carrie Underwood was named "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA, alongside Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
2005: Winning American Idol and Initial Success
In 2005, Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol. Her first single, "Inside Your Heaven", made her the first country artist to debut atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was released and became the best-selling debut album by a solo female country artist.
2006: Beginnings as most awarded CMT Music Awards artist
Beginning in 2006, Carrie Underwood became the most awarded artist in the history of the CMT Music Awards.
2006: Awards Success in 2006
Carrie Underwood experienced award success in 2006, including ACM awards, CMA awards, and CMT awards.
2006: "Some Hearts" Album Success
In 2006, Carrie Underwood's album Some Hearts became the best-selling album of the year in all genres in the United States, and it was also the best-selling country album.
June 2007: Named Sexiest Female Musician by Victoria's Secret
In 2007, Victoria's Secret recognized Carrie Underwood as the Sexiest Female Musician.
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, and won three American Music Awards.
2007: Awards in 2007
In 2007, Carrie Underwood continued to win awards, including ACM awards, CMT awards, and CMA awards for "Before He Cheats".
2007: Tribute to Dolly Parton at Kennedy Center Honors
In 2007, Carrie Underwood paid tribute to Dolly Parton at the Kennedy Center Honors by singing "Islands in the Stream" with Kenny Rogers.
2007: Carnival Ride Album Release
In 2007, Carrie Underwood released her second studio album, Carnival Ride, which sold over half a million copies in its first week and won two Grammy Awards.
2007: Named "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA
In 2007, Carrie Underwood was voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA for the second time. She had previously received the title in 2005, alongside Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
2007: "Some Hearts" Album Success Continued
In 2007, Carrie Underwood's album Some Hearts remained the best-selling country album for the year, making Underwood the first female artist in Billboard history to earn back-to-back honors for Top Country Album. It was also the best-selling female country album of 2007.
2007: Grammy Awards Wins
In 2007, at the 49th Grammy Awards, Carrie Underwood won her first two Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Jesus, Take the Wheel".
February 2008: "Before He Cheats" Certified Double Platinum
In February 2008, "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood became the first country song to ever be certified multi-platinum.
March 15, 2008: Invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry
On March 15, 2008, Carrie Underwood was invited by Randy Travis to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
May 10, 2008: Induction into the Grand Ole Opry
On May 10, 2008, Carrie Underwood was officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Garth Brooks.
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: Academy of Country Music Awards and CMA Awards
In 2008, Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards for the 2nd consecutive time and co-hosted the Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley, also winning Female Vocalist of the Year for the third consecutive year.
2008: Female Vocalist of the Year at European Country Music Association Awards
In 2008, Carrie Underwood won her first international award, which was "Female Vocalist of the Year" at the European Country Music Association Awards.
2008: Grammy Award and Performance
In 2008, at the 50th Grammy Awards, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Before He Cheats" and performed the song at the ceremony.
December 2009: Some Hearts Named Number One Country Album
In December 2009, Billboard named Carrie Underwood's album "Some Hearts" the number-one Country Album of the 2000 Decade. Underwood was also ranked as the top female artist on Billboard's Best Country Artists of the 2000 Decade list.
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.
2009: CMA Awards Hosting and Nominations
In 2009, Carrie Underwood received two nominations at the CMA Awards and co-hosted the ceremony with Brad Paisley for their 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.
2009: Academy of Country Music Awards and Grammy Award for 'Last Name'
In 2009, Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and also won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Last Name".
2009: "Inside Your Heaven" Chart Achievement
In the decade from 2000 to 2009, "Inside Your Heaven" by Carrie Underwood was the only single by a solo country artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
April 2010: ACM Awards - Entertainer of the Year and Triple Crown Award
In April 2010, Carrie Underwood was named Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, becoming the first woman to win this award twice, and received the ACM Triple Crown Award.
May 2010: Selection on People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People List and Sexiest Legs in Hollywood
In May 2010, Carrie Underwood was selected on People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People List for the fourth consecutive year. Also in May 2010, Victoria's Secret named her legs the Sexiest Legs in Hollywood.
December 3, 2010: Honored as CMT Artist of the Year
On December 3, 2010, Carrie Underwood was honored by the CMT Artists of the Year special as one of the 5 top artists of the year in country music.
December 2010: Play On Tour Ranked Among Top Tours
In December 2010, Pollstar.com ranked Carrie Underwood's Play On Tour as one of the Top 50 tours of 2010, ranking number one in North America and number 31 worldwide. Billboard also ranked the tour at number 24 for all worldwide tours of 2010.
2010: Underwood named top female country artist by Billboard
At the turn of the 2010 decade, Billboard named Carrie Underwood the top female country artist and seventh overall country artist.
2010: Underwood named in Guinness Book of World Records
In 2010, Carrie Underwood achieved ten career number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs, for which she was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the female country artist with the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (since accurate sales records were introduced in the US in 1991).
2010: Grammy Award for 'I Told You So'
In 2010, Carrie Underwood won her fifth Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "I Told You So" with Randy Travis.
January 4, 2011: Underwood Named Top Female Country Touring Artist
On January 4, 2011, official statistics revealed that Carrie Underwood played to over 1 million fans throughout the Play On tour, resulting in her being named again as 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 in the academy's history to ever win Entertainer of the Year twice.
May 2011: Underwood becomes Biggest American Idol Earner
Since May 2011, Carrie Underwood is the Biggest American Idol Earner, with tour revenues and records sales combined.
June 2011: Ranked Number 11 Queen of Pop by Rolling Stone Magazine
In June 2011, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Carrie Underwood as the number 11 Queen of Pop, based on various criteria from 2009 to 2011.
July 2011: Top-Earning American Idol Alumnus
In July 2011, Forbes reported that Carrie Underwood earned over $20 million between May 2010 and May 2011, making her the top-earning American Idol alumnus for the fourth consecutive year.
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, for a total of fourteen number-ones.
2012: Blown Away Album Release and Grammy Win
In 2012, Carrie Underwood released her fourth album, Blown Away, which became the number-two best-selling female release of the year. The album also earned her a Grammy Award.
2012: Ranked in The Hockey News' 100 People of Power and Influence in Ice Hockey
In 2012, Carrie Underwood was included in The Hockey News' annual list of the 100 People of Power and Influence in Ice Hockey, ranking at number 85.
2012: Billboard magazine calls Underwood the reigning queen of country music
In a 2012 issue, Billboard magazine referred to Carrie Underwood as Country Music's reigning Queen.
February 22, 2013: Ranked as 16th Money Maker by Billboard
On February 22, 2013, Billboard ranked Carrie Underwood as the 16th money maker for the period from February 2012 to February 2013, earning close to $12 million.
June 2013: Forbes Placed Underwood on 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.
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, for a total of fourteen number-ones.
2014: Underwood recognized as top-earning American Idol alum
Carrie Underwood has been the top-earning American Idol alum of all time since 2014.
2014: Awards and Recognition in 2014
In 2014, Carrie Underwood received the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award from the Academy of Country Music and the Milestone Award at the Billboard Music Awards. She was also listed as one of Time's 100 most influential people and won Favorite Female Country Artist at the American Music Awards. Billboard named her the top female Christian artist of 2014.
2014: Greatest Hits: Decade #1 Album Release
In 2014, Carrie Underwood released her compilation album, Greatest Hits: Decade #1, which broke multiple chart and sales records and included the Grammy-winning crossover single "Something in the Water".
2014: Release of Greatest Hits: Decade #1 and Success of "Something in the Water"
In 2014, Carrie Underwood released her first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits: Decade #1, which included the successful single "Something in the Water". The song reached number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, making it her fourteenth number-one hit. She also earned $10 million in 2014, topping Forbes' list of top-earning American Idols.
2014: Underwood receives 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: Rolling Stone describes Underwood
In 2014, Rolling Stone described Carrie Underwood as "the female vocalist of her generation of any genre".
2014: Time features Underwood in its list of most influential people
In 2014, Time featured Carrie Underwood in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Brad Paisley called her "the best singer in any format of music."
2014: Recognition as Influential Person
In 2014, Time listed Carrie Underwood as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
2015: Awards in 2015
In 2015, Carrie Underwood won Best Country Solo Performance at the 57th Grammy Awards for "Something in the Water". She also won Top Christian Song for "Something in the Water" at the Billboard Music Awards. At the CMT Music Awards in 2015, she won three awards, including Video of the Year for "Something in the Water", and she won her ninth American Music Award for Favorite Female Country Artist.
2015: Grady Smith praises Underwood as leader of country music
In 2015, Grady Smith of The Guardian praised Carrie Underwood, saying "Carrie Underwood has emerged as the leader of country music".
June 2016: CMT Music Awards Wins
In June 2016, Carrie Underwood received three nominations from the CMT Music Awards, taking home two honors for "Smoke Break", expanding her CMT Music Award total to 15—the most among all acts.
August 2016: Release of 'Dirty Laundry'
In August 2016, Carrie Underwood released "Dirty Laundry" from the album Storyteller, eventually peaking at number two on the Billboard Country Airplay. Billboard ranked Underwood as the top female country artist for the year, and fifth overall.
September 2016: ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber Award
In September 2016, Carrie Underwood was the first artist to receive the ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber Award, for her continuous work with charities.
October 20, 2016: CMT Artists of the Year honor and CMA Awards Nominations and Win
On October 20, 2016, Carrie Underwood was honored as one of CMT Artists of the Year. She received four nominations for the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards, winning Female Vocalist of the Year for the fourth time.
January 2017: People's Choice Award and Grammy Performance
In January 2017, Carrie Underwood received her ninth People's Choice award for Favorite Female Country Artist. She and Keith Urban performed their new single, "The Fighter", at the Grammy ceremony.
2017: Awards and Nominations in 2017
In 2017, Carrie Underwood received two nominations for the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. She scored three more nominations for the 2017 CMT Music Awards in June, including Video of the Year for "Church Bells".
2017: Underwood inducted into Oklahoma Hall of Fame
In 2017, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for her achievements in music.
2017: Forbes declares Underwood the most successful American Idol winner
In 2017, Forbes declared Carrie Underwood the most successful American Idol winner of all time.
September 2018: Underwood receives star on the 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: Hosting the CMA Awards and Winning Female Vocalist of the Year
On November 14, 2018, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley 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: Awards and Performances in 2018
In 2018, Carrie Underwood received four nominations and one win for the CMT Music Awards. She performed "Cry Pretty" at the ceremony and received a nomination for Choice Country Artist and "Cry Pretty" received a nomination for Choice Country Song for the Teen Choice awards, winning Choice Country Artist.
2018: Underwood receives star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
In 2018, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame for 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: Underwood maintains status as most awarded CMT Music Awards artist
After taking home over 20 awards from 2006 to 2019, Carrie Underwood remains the most awarded artist in the history of the CMT Music Awards.
2019: 54th Academy of Country Music Awards Nomination and Performance
In 2019, Carrie Underwood received a nomination for Female Artist of the Year at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards. She performed with Chrissy Metz, Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, and Maddie & Tae and debuted "Southbound" from the Cry Pretty album during the show.
February 2020: Cry Pretty Certified Platinum
In February 2020, Carrie Underwood's album Cry Pretty was certified Platinum.
September 2020: Underwood wins 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 do so.
October 2021: Underwood scores 16th number one on Country Airplay
In October 2021, Carrie Underwood scored her 16th number one on the Country Airplay, with the joint single "If I Didn't Love You".
2021: Latin American Music Awards Performance
In 2021, Carrie Underwood joined David Bisbal for the debut televised performance of the song "Tears of Gold" at the Latin American Music Awards in Sunrise, Florida.
2021: My Savior Gospel 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 for Best Roots Gospel Album
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 Best Gospel Album for My Savior
In April 2022, Carrie Underwood received two Grammy nominations for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, winning one for Best Gospel Album for "My Savior".
November 9, 2022: Country Music Association Awards Airing
Carrie Underwood received three nominations for the Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, airing November 9, 2022.
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.
2025: Billboard ranks Underwood as top female artist
Billboard later ranked Carrie Underwood at number 13 on its 2025 "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" list.
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