INDUSTRY HONORS
- CMA FOUNDING PRESIDENT'S AWARD (IN HONOR OF CONNIE B. GAY, FORMERLY THE CONNIE B. GAY AWARD)
- CMA FOUNDATION HUMANITARIAN AWARD
- WILLIE NELSON LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
- PINNACLE AWARD
- IRVING WAUGH AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
- JOE TALBOT AWARD
- CMA MEDIA ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (FORMERLY JOURNALIST AWARD)
- J.WILLIAM DENNY AWARD
- CMA SONGWRITER ADVOCATE AWARD
CMA Founding President’s Award (In Honor of Connie B. Gay, Formerly the Connie B. Gay Award)
This award was established by the board of directors in 1963. The award is given in recognition of that person (or persons) who is not currently serving as a director of the association, and who, in the board’s opinion, has rendered the most outstanding service to the Country Music Association in the current year.
1963 Richard Frank 1964 Joe Allison 1965 Robert J. Burton 1966 Pack Ackerman 1967 Gene Nash, LeRoy Van Dyke 1968 Owen Bradley 1969 Johnny Cash 1970 Frank Clement 1971 Ken Nelson 1972 Tex Ritter 1973 Frank Jones 1974 Jack Stapp 1975 Hubert Long (posthumously) 1976 Roy Horton 1977 Hal Cook 1978 Bob Tubert 1979 Ben Smathers 1980 Charlie Daniels 1981 Roy Acuff 1982 Bob Boatman 1983 Mary Ann McCready 1984 Frank Mull 1985 Jim Halsey 1986 Merrill Warne 1987 Paul Conroy 1988 Ron Huntsman 1989 Michael Sukin 1990 Allen Brown 1991 Bob Saporiti 1992 Jim Free 1993 Fred Rappoport 1994 Helen Farmer 1995 Cindy Wilson 1996 Marc Oswald 1997 Trisha Yearwood 1998 Pam Tillis 1999 Martina McBride 2000 Wayne Halper 2001 Mayor Bill Purcell 2002 Brad Paisley 2003 Wynonna Judd 2004 Terri Clark 2005 Blue County 2013 Mayor Karl Dean
CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award
The CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award is for an individual who has served as a humanitarian through community leadership, financial support, personal volunteerism and advocacy. The individual recognized has evidenced commitment to worthwhile causes that are important to the Country Music Association and the Country Music community.
2014 Kix Brooks
2015 Steve Turner
2017 Vince Gill
2018 Randy Owen
2020 Brad Paisley
2021 Shelia Shipley Biddy, Tatum Hauck Allsep, and Dolly Parton
2022 Michael T. Strickland
2023 Darius Rucker
Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is for an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music. The award recognizes an artist 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. The artist receiving this award has 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.
It is to be noted their presence will have a long-term positive impact on Country Music and CMA for generations to come.
2012 Willie Nelson
2013 Kenny Rogers
2015 Johnny Cash
2016 Dolly Parton
2019 Kris Kristofferson
2020 Charley Pride
2021 Loretta Lynn
2022 Alan Jackson
Pinnacle Award
This award recognizes a Country artist who has undeniably redefined the pinnacle of success in the genre by achieving prominence through concert performances, consumption numbers, record sales, and/or other significant industry achievements at levels unique for Country Music.
The artist has also attained the highest degree of recognition within the broad expanse of music worldwide, and their talent and presence will have a long-term positive impact on the appreciation of Country Music for generations to come.
This award is not intended to be given annually and is distinct from awards recognizing a lifetime body of work.
2005 Garth Brooks
2013 Taylor Swift
2016 Kenny Chesney
2022 Alabama
Irving Waugh Award of Excellence
The Irving Waugh Award of Excellence is awarded to that individual who is the originator and caretaker of demonstrated ideas and actions that have dramatically broadened and improved Country Music’s influence on a national or international level for the benefit of the industry as a whole. It is the intention that these ideas and actions typically will have run a course of years and shall have a proven historical impact on Country Music.
1983 Irving Waugh
1987 Frances Preston
1991 Jo Walker-Meador
2003 Johnny Cash
2009 Walter Miller
2014 Vince Gill
2016 Steve Buchanan and Donna Hilley
2018 Connie Bradley
2019 Dale Morris
2020 Kyle Young
2021 E.W. "Bud" Wendell
2022 Dan Rogers
2023 Mike Dungan
Joe Talbot Award
This award is presented in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of Country Music’s values and tradition. The award may be presented to a person (living or deceased) in recognition of an initiative or long-term contribution deemed by the CMA Board of Directors to qualify for this award.
2001 Joe Talbot
2004 Janette Carter
2005 Louise Scruggs
2007 Marty Stuart
2015 George Jones
2016 Merle Haggard
2017 Kitty Moon Emery
2018 Alan Jackson
2019 Charlie Monk
2022 Ken Burns
2022 Dayton Duncan
2023 Jeannie Seely
CMA Media Achievement Award (Formerly Journalist Award)
The CMA Media Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding achievements in the media as they relate to Country Music. Print and Internet journalists; columnists; authors; editors; television writers, producers and bookers; and syndicated radio reporters are eligible to win this award. Past recipients are eligible for nomination 5 years after they have last received the honor.
1982 Jack Hurst
1983 Neil Hickey
1984 Dolly Carlisle
1985 Red O'Donnell
1986 No Award
1987 Dave Zimmerman
1988 Bob Oermann
1989 Bob Claypool
1990 Dick Heard
1991 No Award
1992 Mark McEwen
1993 Lynn Lester
1994 Judy Massa
1995 Clay Smith
1996 Tisi Aylward
1997 Jay Orr
1998 Chet Flippo
1999 Hazel Smith
2000 Neil Pond
2001 Harry Chapman
2002 Jim Patterson
2003 Denise Quan
2004 Alanna Nash
2005 Mark Bracco
2006 Donna Hughes
2007 Storme Warren
2008 Monica Escobedo
2009 Cynthia Sanz
2010 Beville Darden
2011 Ashley Dvorkin
2012 Jennifer Meyer & Ray Sells
2013 Deborah Evans Price
2014 Chuck Dauphin
2015 Cindy Watts
2016 Beville Dunkerley & Joseph Hudak
2017 Brittany Schreiber
2018 Tom Roland
2019 Holly Gleason
2020 Melinda Newman
2021 Sarah Michaud
2022 Leslie Fram
2023 Marcus Dowling
J. William Denny Award
This award is presented in recognition and appreciation of a lifetime of dedication, distinguished service and meritorious contributions to the CMA Board of Directors. The award may be presented to a person living or deceased. All submissions for this honor will be submitted to the CMA Awards Department and will then be discussed and approved by the Awards & Recognition Committee. The Committee will then bring a recommendation to the Board of Directors at the second board meeting for discussion and/or approval. It is not necessary for this award to be presented each year and shall not be presented more often than annually.
2016 J. William Denny
2019 Lon Helton
2020 Joe Galante
2021 Kix Brooks
2022 Frank Bumstead
2022 Dick McCullough
2023 Jim Free
CMA Songwriter Advocate Award
This award recognizes an individual who has dedicated their life to supporting and advancing the art of songwriting and careers of songwriters. The individual receiving this award has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of songwriting in the Country Music genre throughout a course of years and has proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on the songwriting community. Their presence will have a long-term positive impact on Country Music and CMA for generations to come.
Past Recipients:
2020 Bob DiPiero
2022 Jody Williams
2024 Troy Tomlinson