Country Music Association Award for Musician of the Year

Last updated
Country Music Association Award for Musician of the Year
CountryUnited States
Presented by Country Music Association
First award1967
Currently held by Charlie Worsham (2024)

The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Musician of the Year. [1] First presented at the inaugural CMA Awards in 1967 to Chet Atkins as the Instrumentalist of the Year award, the category received its current name at the 1988 CMA Awards.

Contents

The inaugural recipient of the award was guitarist Chet Atkins, who won in 1967. Atkins and Mac McAnally hold the record for most wins in the category, with ten each, while pedal steel player Paul Franklin has a leading thirty two nominations without ever winning. The first female nominee and winner in this category is fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, who first won at the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2019. [2] The current holder of the award is Charlie Worsham.

Recipients

2024 winner and two-time nominee Charlie Worsham. Charlie Worsham - Best Buy Theater.jpg
2024 winner and two-time nominee Charlie Worsham.
Three-time recipient Jerry Douglas is known for playing dobro with Alison Krauss and Union Station. Jerry Douglas (26955774667).jpg
Three-time recipient Jerry Douglas is known for playing dobro with Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Three-time winner Randy Scruggs. Randy Scruggs (3988742891) (cropped).jpg
Three-time winner Randy Scruggs.
Fiddle player Mark O'Connor is a six-time winner. Mark O'Connor, bluegrass musician on stage at Cambridge Folk Festival, 1985.jpg
Fiddle player Mark O'Connor is a six-time winner.
Charlie Daniels received the award in 1979. Charlie Daniels at NavSta Great Lakes.jpg
Charlie Daniels received the award in 1979.
Roy Clark won the award three times. Roy Clark onstage.png
Roy Clark won the award three times.
Two-time recipient Charlie McCoy. Charlie McCoy03.JPG
Two-time recipient Charlie McCoy.
YearWinnerNominees
2024 Blueribbon icon.png Charlie Worsham
2023 [3] Blueribbon icon.png Jenee Fleenor
2022 [4] Blueribbon icon.png Jenee Fleenor
2021 Blueribbon icon.png Jenee Fleenor
2020 Blueribbon icon.png Jenee Fleenor
2019 Blueribbon icon.png Jenee Fleenor
2018 [5] Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2017 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2016 Blueribbon icon.png Dann Huff
2015 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2014 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2013 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2012 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2011 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2010 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2009 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2008 Blueribbon icon.png Mac McAnally
2007 Blueribbon icon.png Jerry Douglas
2006 Blueribbon icon.png Randy Scruggs
2005 Blueribbon icon.png Jerry Douglas
2004 Blueribbon icon.png Dann Huff
2003 Blueribbon icon.png Randy Scruggs
2002 Blueribbon icon.png Jerry Douglas
2001 Blueribbon icon.png Dann Huff
2000 Blueribbon icon.png Hargus "Pig" Robbins
1999 Blueribbon icon.png Randy Scruggs
1998 Blueribbon icon.png Brent Mason
1997 Blueribbon icon.png Brent Mason
1996 Blueribbon icon.png Mark O'Connor
1995 Blueribbon icon.png Mark O'Connor
1994 Blueribbon icon.png Mark O'Connor
1993 Blueribbon icon.png Mark O'Connor
1992 Blueribbon icon.png Mark O'Connor
1991 Blueribbon icon.png Mark O'Connor
1990 Blueribbon icon.png Johnny Gimble
1989 Blueribbon icon.png Johnny Gimble
1988 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1987 Blueribbon icon.png Johnny Gimble
1986 Blueribbon icon.png Johnny Gimble
1985 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1984 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1983 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1982 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1981 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1980 Blueribbon icon.png Roy Clark
1979 Blueribbon icon.png Charlie Daniels
1978 Blueribbon icon.png Roy Clark
1977 Blueribbon icon.png Roy Clark
1976 Blueribbon icon.png Hargus "Pig" Robbins
1975 Blueribbon icon.png Johnny Gimble
1974 Blueribbon icon.png Don Rich
1973 Blueribbon icon.png Charlie McCoy
1972 Blueribbon icon.png Charlie McCoy
1971 Blueribbon icon.png Jerry Reed
1970 Blueribbon icon.png Jerry Reed
1969 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1968 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins
1967 Blueribbon icon.png Chet Atkins

Artists with multiple wins

Artists that received multiple awards
AwardsArtist
10 Chet Atkins
Mac McAnally
6 Johnny Gimble
5 Mark O'Connor
Jenee Fleenor
3 Dan Huff
Jerry Douglas
Roy Clark
2 Brent Mason
Charlie McCoy
Hargus "Pig" Robbins
Jerry Reed
Randy Scruggs

Artists with multiple nominations

32 nominations
21 nominations
20 nominations
19 nominations
17 nominations
15 nominations
14 nominations
13 nominations
12 nominations
11 nominations
10 nominations
8 nominations
7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

References

  1. "Past Winners And Nominees". 2019 CMA Awards | Wednesday, November 13 on ABC.
  2. "CMA Awards 2019: Jenee Fleenor becomes first woman to win Musician of the Year".
  3. "Lainey Wilson Leads 2023 CMA Awards Nominations – And Makes History (Full List)". Billboard . September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  4. "First-Timer Lainey Wilson Leads Nominations for 2022 CMA Awards: Full List". Billboard .
  5. McCarthy, Kelly (August 28, 2018). "2018 CMA Awards nominations: See the full list". ABC News. Retrieved August 28, 2018.