The Texas Troubadour Gets His Moment: What Fans Should Know About George Strait’s CMA Award. ML
Country music legend George Strait will receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award on Wednesday at the 58th annual CMA Awards.
Strait, regarded universally as a country music icon, is a three-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and the most-nominated CMA artist of all time.
Will George Strait be at the CMA Awards to receive the award?
Yes. Strait is slated to accept the honor in person during the show, which airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday.
Strait will be honored with a star-studded performances from several yet-to-be-named artists who the CMA says are lifelong fans of Strait and his work.
Strait’s 40-plus year career is unprecedented
Strait’s music career spans more than four decades and includes 60 No.1 singles and 33 platinum and multi-platinum albums.
He has sold more than 70 million albums and earned more than 60 major entertainment industry awards. His 31 studio albums, three live albums and 11 compilation albums have landed him three CMA Entertainer of the Year Awards (1989, 1990, 2013) and 17 CMA Award wins. He is also the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for more than three decades.
Strait is the most-nominated artist, with 83 total CMA Award nominations. He is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He continues to tour and sell out shows everywhere he plays.
What is the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award?
The CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music, according to the CMA.
The award recognizes those who have achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming numbers, record sales and public representation. Artists receiving the award have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over the course of many years and has proved to have an historical impact on fans and the industry alike.
Previous recipients of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award include Nelson himself (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020), Loretta Lynn (2021) and Alan Jackson (2022).
Will Strait perform at the CMA Awards?
Strait is not slated to perform, although he is expected to be in attendance to accept the award.
What are some of Strait’s biggest hits?
Some of Strait’s biggest hits include “I Cross My Heart,” “Ocean Front Property,” “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Amarillo by Morning,” “Write This Down,” and “Carrying Your Love With Me.”
Is Strait still recording and touring?
Yes. He released his latest album, “Cowboys and Dreamers,” in September. It features 13 songs, including a duet with Chris Stapleton. This album marks his first new music since 2019.
Strait has played a string of sold-out stadium shows in 2023 and 2024, several of which set venue attendance records. He has also toured with Stapleton and Little Big Town.
