A nanostructured surface layer was fabricated on 1420 aluminum alloy by high-energy shot peening.Microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution electron microscope(HRTEM), and microhardness measurement was conducted along the depth from top surface layer to matrix of the sample peened for 30 min. The results show that a nanocrystalline layer about 20 μm in thickness is formed on the surface of the sample after high-energy shot peening, in which the grain size is changed from about 20 nm to 100 nm. In the surface layer of 20 -50 μm in depth, the microstructure consists of submicron grains. The surface nanocrystallization is accomplished by dislocation slip. The microhardness of the top surface nanostructured layer is enhanced obviously after high-energy shot peening(HESP) compared with that of the coarse-grained matrix.