Country Music Association Awards facts for kids

Most recent CMA Award winners

Award Entertainer of the Year Album of the Year Winner Lainey Wilson Bell Bottom Country (Lainey Wilson)   Award Male Vocalist of the Year Female Vocalist of the Year Winner Chris Stapleton Lainey Wilson

The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony features performances and award presentations by popular country music artists, with occasional appearances from pop and rock artists. The CMA Awards were first presented in 1967, and televised for the first time the following year.

History

The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on October 20, 1967; the Entertainer of the Year award went to Eddy Arnold that night. The second annual CMA awards were presented in October 1968; NBC taped the ceremony and televised it a few weeks later. Since then, the awards have been televised live, usually in October or November, by NBC from 1969 through 1971, by CBS from 1972 through 2005, and by ABC beginning in 2006. Starting in 1968 they were held at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (initially at Ryman Auditorium, and from 1974 through 2004 at the new Grand Ole Opry House).

In 2005, the awards show was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Since 2006, they have been held at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 54th CMA Awards were held at Nashville's Music City Center.

Since 2017, the ceremony has been held on the second Wednesday of November. Prior to 2017, the awards were generally held on the first Wednesday of November. However, since then the awards have been rescheduled for later in the month to avoid conflict with a possible game seven of Major League Baseball's World Series, since the 2016 ceremony aired the same night as Fox’s eventual telecast of game seven of the 2016 Series, which beat the CMA Awards in the ratings.

In June 2021, the Country Music Association announced that they would extend its broadcast contract with ABC through 2026.

Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Country Music Association announced that the 55th CMA Awards on November 10, 2021, would require ticketed audience members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear appropriate face coverings.

Eligibility and voting

Albums and songs released between July 1 of the previous calendar year and June 30 of the award show's year are eligible for consideration. More than 7,300 individuals from the Country Music Association trade group vote for the nominees and winners through three rounds of balloting.

Awards

Annual awards are given in the following twelve categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, New Artist (previously known as the Horizon Award until 2008), Vocal Group, Vocal Duo (introduced in 1970), Single, Album, Song, Musical Event (split off from the Vocal Duo award in 1988 as Vocal Event), Music Video (introduced in 1985), and Musician. The distinction between the Duo and Event awards is that the former is presented to two artists who normally perform together, while the latter was specifically created to honor one-off collaborations. Nine awards are also given to radio broadcasters for Station of the Year and Personality of the Year (divided into four categories each, based on market size), as well as National Personality of the Year to the host of a nationally syndicated show. Since 2012, the ceremony features a Lifetime Achievement Award. Vince Gill, and Alan Jackson are the only individuals to win Entertainer of the Year, Male/Female Vocalist of the Year or Group/Duo of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year all in the same year.

Categories

Defunct categories

• Comedian of the Year (1967–1970)
• Instrumental Group of the Year (1967–1986)

Industry Honors

Radio awards

Major awards

Country Music Association Award for International Achievement

The Country Music Association Award for International Achievement is presented to international artists and executives.

International Artist Achievement Award

Formerly presented as the International Touring Artist Award, this award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who has demonstrated the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States during the eligibility period. The Dixie Chicks were the first artists to receive the award twice. 2008 is the only year in which there were multiple winners.

• 2022: Ashley McBryde
• 2021: Luke Combs
• 2020: Keith Urban
• 2019: Kacey Musgraves
• 2018: Little Big Town
• 2017: Carrie Underwood
• 2016: Kacey Musgraves
• 2015: Not presented
• 2014: Brad Paisley
• 2013: Taylor Swift
• 2012: Lady Antebellum
• 2011: Brad Paisley
• 2010: Not presented
• 2009: Taylor Swift
• 2008: Dierks Bentley and Brooks & Dunn
• 2007: Dwight Yoakam
• 2006: Dixie Chicks
• 2005: Keith Urban
• 2004: Dolly Parton
• 2003: Dixie Chicks
• 2002: Bellamy Brothers
• 2001: Lonestar
• 2000: Reba McEntire
• 1999: Shania Twain
• 1998: Trisha Yearwood
• 1997: The Mavericks
• 1996: BR5 49

Global Country Achievement Award

Named in honor of Jeff Walker, this award recognizes outstanding achievements by a country music artist signed outside of the United States. The artist must have furthered the popularity of country music as well as brought attention to the country music format in their territory. This award was first presented in 2003 and has been presented annually since, with the exception of 2015. The Global Country Achievement Award has been most frequently won by Australian artists.

• 2021: The Shires (UK)
• 2020: Ilse DeLange (The Netherlands)
• 2019: Travis Collins (Australia) and Ward Thomas (UK)
• 2018: Dean Brody (Canada)
• 2017: The Shires (UK)
• 2016: Gord Bamford (Canada)
• 2015: Not presented
• 2014: Morgan Evans (Australia)
• 2013: Gord Bamford (Canada)
• 2012: Jasmine Rae (Australia)
• 2011: The McClymonts (Australia)
• 2010: Tommy Emmanuel (Australia)
• 2009: Catherine Britt (Australia)
• 2008: Troy Cassar-Daley (Australia)
• 2007: Adam Harvey (Australia)
• 2006: Jason McCoy (Canada)
• 2005: Paul Brandt (Canada)
• 2004: Kasey Chambers and Slim Dusty (Australia)
• 2003: Lee Kernaghan (Australia)

International Broadcaster of the Year

This award recognizes outstanding achievement by a radio broadcaster outside the United States who has made important contributions for the development of country music in their country. Up to three recipients may be named in any year. Each recipient must represent a different territory.

• 2021: Baylen Leonard (UK)
• 2020: Ben Earle (UK)
• 2019: Baylen Leonard (UK)
• 2018: Chris Stevens (UK)
• 2017: Bob Harris (UK)
• 2016: Paul McGuire (Canada)
• 2015: Not presented
• 2014: Ricky Ross (UK)
• 2013: Bob Harris (UK)
• 2012: David Burton (Australia), Takehisa Matsuda (Japan) and Lee Williams (UK)
• 2011: Ken McLeod (Scotland), Felicity Urquhart (Australia) and Brian D'Arcy (Northern Ireland)
• 2010: Sandy Harsch (Ireland), Larry Cann (Australia) and Alan Watkiss (UK)
• 2009: Grant Goldman (Australia), Casey Clarke (Canada) and Brian Clough (UK)
• 2008: Pio McCann (Ireland), John Bond (Australia) and Joe Fish (UK)
• 2007: Nick Erby (Australia), Jackie-Rae Greening (Canada) and Georges Lang (France)
• 2006: Tim Rogers (UK), Ian Holland (Australia) and Helen Macpherson (Scotland)
• 2005: The Odd Squad (Canada), Ray Hadley (Australia) and Bryan Burnett (Scotland)
• 2004: Trevor Campbell (UK), Bob Harris (UK) and Nikos Garavelas (Greece)
• 2003: Pat Geary (Scotland), Johnnie Walker (UK) and John Laws (Australia)
• 2002: Stuart Cameron and David Allan (UK)
• 2001: Gary Beattie (Australia) and Bill Black (UK)
• 2000: Thomas Jeier (Germany), Korneliusz Pacuda (Poland), John Nutting (Australia) and Dick Barrie (Scotland)
• 1999: Trevor Smith (Australia), Dieter Vulpus and Bernd Schroeder (Germany), Country FM (The Netherlands)
• 1998: Ruud Hermans and Jan de Jong (The Netherlands), Lloyd Cole (Wales) and Kirsten Helm Petersen (Denmark)
• 1997: Walter Fuchs (Germany), Nick Erby and John Laws (Australia)

CMA Awards hosts

The first ceremony in 1967, which was not televised, was co-hosted by Sonny James and Bobbie Gentry. Vince Gill hosted the awards from 1992 to 2003. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood have co-hosted the ceremonies from 2008 to 2018. For the 2019 ceremony, Carrie Underwood hosted alongside Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. McEntire returned to host the 2020 ceremony with Darius Rucker. Luke Bryan hosted the 2021 show solo. Bryan returned to host the 2022 ceremony with Peyton Manning.

Award milestones

Most wins

Most nominated

Won four main awards in single year

Only two artists have won the top four awards in a single year: Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Male Vocalist/Female Vocalist/Group/Duo of the Year and Song of the Year: Vince Gill, in 1993 and Alan Jackson, in 2002.

See also

• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame
• CMA Music Festival, a CMA-produced summer event which is part of the CMA broadcast contract with ABC