The CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award honors an iconic artist who has achieved the highest level of recognition in country music, both nationally and internationally. This award celebrates individuals who have excelled through outstanding concert performances, impactful humanitarian efforts, meaningful philanthropy, impressive streaming achievements, record-breaking sales, and exceptional public representation.
Recipients of this prestigious accolade have significantly contributed to the growth and evolution of country music over the years, leaving an enduring impact on fans and the industry. Their work has shaped the genre’s history and inspired countless artists.
Past honorees include country legends such as Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020), Loretta Lynn (2021), and Alan Jackson (2022).
With a career spanning more than 40 years, George Strait has achieved unparalleled success, boasting 60 No. 1 singles and 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum albums. A member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Strait is celebrated for seamlessly blending timeless familiarity with fresh excitement every time he steps on stage or into the studio.
Strait holds the record as the only artist in history to achieve a top 10 hit every year for over three decades. His extraordinary achievements include selling over 70 million albums and earning more than 60 major industry awards. Among these accolades are 17 CMA Award wins, including three CMA Entertainer of the Year titles (1989, 1990, 2013). With 83 total nominations, Strait is the most-nominated artist in CMA history.
“There have been few other artists as authentically Texas and authentically country as George Strait, and country music fans all over the world have been better for it,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO. “As a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and the most-nominated artist of all time, he serves as an inspiration and icon to many of the great, new artists we know today. I am thrilled we are awarding him with this deserving honor.
George Strait is set to join an elite group of country legends when he receives the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award next week in Nashville.
The country icon will also be celebrated with a special tribute to his music, performed by an all-star lineup of artists. For fans of “real country music,” this year’s CMAs are sure to deliver a memorable night.
The **2024 CMA Awards** will air on **ABC on Nov. 20**, with Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson serving as hosts. Morgan Wallen leads the pack with seven nominations, making him the most-nominated artist of the night.
Watch the video of George’s favorite song that he recorded in 1982 “Amarilo by Morning”