The Country Music Association has announced that the legendary George Strait — “The King of Country” — has been named as the recipient of the 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to Strait during the 58th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, shared: “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. 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.”
Throughout his 40-year career, Strait has earned more than 60 No. 1 singles and 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, and is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over 30 years. Strait won the coveted ‘Entertainer of the Year” award at the CMAs three times (1989, 1990, 2013), with 17 wins and 83 nominations – making him the most-nominated artist in CMA history.
Introduced in 2012, the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is given to “an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music.” The recognition also takes into account the artist’s “both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming numbers, record sales and public representation at the highest level.” Previous Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020), Loretta Lynn (2021) and Alan Jackson (2022).
The 58th Annual CMA Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 20 on ABC, and streams the following day on Hulu.
Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com