Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award
Country	United States
Presented by	Country Music Association
First award	2012
Currently held by	Vince Gill (2025)

The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted in 2012 during the 46th CMA Awards, is given by the Country Music Association. The presentation of the award is intended to "honor an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music [...] who has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales, streaming numbers, and public representation at the highest level", with the condition that the recipient "must have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre throughout a course of years that have proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on fans and industry alike". ^[1]

The award, first presented to Willie Nelson, and named after him, was designed by Chicago manufacturer R.S. Owens & Company. The trophy was built resembling the "bullet shape" of a regular CMA award, formed by two aluminum struts that support a bronze medallion on top, with the entire structure attached to a walnut base. ^[2]

Recipients

† Indicates a posthumous award

Year	Recipients		Achievements	Tribute Performance
2012		Willie Nelson (b. 1933)	Ten-time CMA award winner (including the 1979 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Seventy-seven studio albums Thirty-three 'Number One' singles Fifteen-time Grammy winner 1998 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	"Always on My Mind" and "Crazy" — Lady A "Whiskey River"— Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Mickey Raphael "Good Hearted Woman" — Tim McGraw and Faith Hill "On the Road Again" — Willie Nelson (with Shelton, Urban, Hill, McGraw and Lady A)
2013		Kenny Rogers (1938–2020)	Five-time CMA award winner Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Thirty-nine studio albums Thirty 'Number One' singles Three-time Grammy winner	"Sweet Music Man" — Jennifer Nettles "Just Dropped In"— Rascal Flatts "The Gambler" — Darius Rucker "Islands in the Stream"— Kenny Rogers (with Nettles)
2015		Johnny Cash † (1932–2003)	Nine-time CMA award winner (including the 1969 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Rock and Roll and Gospel Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Sixty-seven studio albums Thirteen 'Number One' singles Eighteen-time Grammy winner 1996 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	—
2016		Dolly Parton (b. 1946)	Nine-time CMA award winner (including the 1978 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Songwriters and Gospel Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Forty-nine solo studio albums Twenty-five 'Number One' singles Ten-time Grammy winner 2006 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	"Jolene" — Jennifer Nettles (with Pentatonix) "9 to 5" — Reba McEntire "Here You Come Again" — Kacey Musgraves "I Will Always Love You" — Carrie Underwood and Martina McBride (with Nettles, Musgraves and McEntire)
2019		Kris Kristofferson (1936–2024) [a]	One-time CMA award winner Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame 1976 Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Eighteen studio albums One 'Number One' single Three-time Grammy winner 2003 Americana Music Award for Free Speech recipient	"Me and Bobby McGee" — Dierks Bentley, Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson, Joe Walsh and John Osborne
2020		Charley Pride (1934–2020)	Three-time CMA award winner (including the 1971 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Forty-four studio albums Forty 'Number One' singles Three-time Grammy Award winner	"Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" — Charley Pride (with Jimmie Allen)
2021		Loretta Lynn (1932–2022) [b]	Eight-time CMA award winner (including the 1972 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Fifty studio albums Twenty-three 'Number One' singles Four-time Grammy winner 2003 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	—
2022		Alan Jackson (b. 1958)	Sixteen-time CMA award winner (including the 1995, 2002 and 2003 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Twenty-one studio albums Twenty-seven 'Number One' singles Two-time Grammy Award winner	"Remember When" — Carrie Underwood "Chattahoochee" — Dierks Bentley "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" — Jon Pardi "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" — Lainey Wilson "Don't Rock the Jukebox" — Alan Jackson
2024		George Strait (b. 1952)	Twenty three-time CMA winner (including the 1989, 1990, and 2013 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Thirty-one studio albums Sixty 'Number One' singles Grammy Award winner	"Amarillo By Morning" — Lainey Wilson "Give It Away" — Jamey Johnson "Troubadour" — Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum "Honky Tonk Hall of Fame" — George Strait and Chris Stapleton
2025		Vince Gill (b. 1957)	Eighteen-time CMA winner (including the 1993 and 1994 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Twenty studio albums Seven 'Number One' singles Twenty two-time Grammy Award winner	"When I Call Your Name" — Brandi Carlile and Patty Loveless

^ a. Kristofferon was not in attendance when he received the award as he had a show scheduled on the same night.
^ b. Lynn was not in attendance when she received her award. Also the award was not acknowledged during the 2021 ceremony.

Sources: ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

References

1. "Industry Honors - CMA World - CMA Country Music Association". CMA World. Country Music Association. November 8, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
2. Green, Cassie (November 12, 2013). "R.S. Owens Completes Willie Nelson's CMA Lifetime Achievement Award". A&E magazine. NBM, Inc. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
3. Stephen L. Betts (2016-10-04). "Dolly Parton to Receive CMA Lifetime Achievement Award". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
4. Stephen L. Betts (2019-11-05). "2019 CMA Awards: Kris Kristofferson to Get Lifetime Achievement Award". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
5. Melinda Newman. "Charley Pride to Receive CMA Awards' 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award – Billboard". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
6. "Alan Jackson to Receive 2022 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award". Billboard .
7. Nicholson, Jessica (2024-11-12). "George Strait to Receive 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award". Billboard .
8. Hudak, Joseph (2025-11-10). "Vince Gill, Singer, Guitarist, and Eagle, to Receive 2025 CMA Lifetime Achievement Award". Rolling Stone .