Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year
{{short description|Annual American country music award}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year
| awarded_for =
| image = Morgan Wallen performing in Bristol, Tennessee at Country Thunder, Photo by Andrew Wendowski.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption = Current winner of the award Morgan Wallen
| presenter = Country Music Association
| country = United States
| year = 1967
| year2 =
| holder = Morgan Wallen (2024)
| website =
}}
The Country Music Association Awards is a major awards show in country music, with the highest honor being the award for Entertainer of the Year. It is the final award presented at the ceremony and recognizes the artist "displaying the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field", with consideration to not only recorded performance but also "in-person performance, public acceptance, leadership, and overall contribution to country music" they have exhibited throughout the eligibility period.{{cite web | url=https://cmaawards.com/about/ | title=About }} It is generally considered the highest competitive honor presented at the CMA Awards.
The inaugural recipient of the award was Eddy Arnold in 1967, with Loretta Lynn becoming the first female winner in 1972, and Alabama being the first group awarded in 1982. Garth Brooks holds the record for most wins in the category, with seven, while three-time recipient George Strait has a leading nineteen nominations. To date, Barbara Mandrell and Taylor Swift are the only women to have won twice. Chris Stapleton holds the record for most nominations without a win, with eight. The current holder of the award is Morgan Wallen, who won in 2024.
Recipients
In the following tables, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony. Artists are eligible based on their work of the previous calendar year. Entries with a blue ribbon next to the artist's name have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list.
File:Eric Church 2012 (cropped).jpg won the award in 2020]]
File:George Strait 2014 1.jpg received the award in 1989, 1990 and 2013]]
File:Taylor Swift Sydney.jpg is the youngest artist and second woman to win twice]]
File:Brad Paisley at the White House.jpg received the honor in 2010]]
File:Kenny Chesney 20070830.jpg]]
File:RebaMcEntireApr10.jpg, and most nominated Female Artist. ]]
File:DixieChicksMSG062003.jpg are the only female group to be crowned]]
File:ShaniaTwain3.jpg was the first non-American winner]]
File:Vince_Gill.png is also a five-time male vocalist]]
File:Alabama at Bayfest 2014.jpg have received the honor three times]]
File:Barbara Mandrell 1991 U.S.O. Show.jpg is the first person to win twice]]
File:Dolly Parton Australia.jpg is also a two-time female vocalist]]
File:Loretta Lynn.jpg is the first woman to win entertainer of the year]]
File:Charley-Pride 1981.JPEG is the only person of color to win Entertainer of the year.]]
| class="wikitable sortable"
! bgcolor="#efefef" |Year ! bgcolor="#efefef" width="250px" |Winner ! bgcolor="#efefef" width="300px" class="unsortable" |Nominees |
| 2024
|{{blue ribbon}} Morgan Wallen | |
|---|
| 2023
| {{blue ribbon}} Lainey Wilson | |
| 2022
| {{blue ribbon}} Luke Combs | |
| 2021
| {{blue ribbon}} Luke Combs | |
| scope="row" |2020
| {{blue ribbon}} Eric Church | |
| 2019
| {{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |2018
|{{blue ribbon}} Keith Urban | |
| scope="row" |2017
|{{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |2016
|{{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |2015
|{{blue ribbon}} Luke Bryan | |
| scope="row" |2014
|{{blue ribbon}} Luke Bryan | |
| scope="row" |2013
|{{blue ribbon}} George Strait | |
| scope="row" |2012
|{{blue ribbon}} Blake Shelton | |
| scope="row" |2011
|{{blue ribbon}} Taylor Swift | |
| scope="row" |2010
|{{blue ribbon}} Brad Paisley | |
| scope="row" |2009
|{{blue ribbon}} Taylor Swift | |
| scope="row" |2008
|{{blue ribbon}} Kenny Chesney | |
| scope="row" |2007
|{{blue ribbon}} Kenny Chesney | |
| scope="row" |2006
|{{blue ribbon}} Kenny Chesney | |
| scope="row" |2005
|{{blue ribbon}} Keith Urban | |
| scope="row" |2004
|{{blue ribbon}} Kenny Chesney | |
| scope="row" |2003
|{{blue ribbon}} Alan Jackson | |
| scope="row" |2002
|{{blue ribbon}} Alan Jackson | |
| scope="row" |2001
|{{blue ribbon}} Tim McGraw | |
| scope="row" |2000
|{{blue ribbon}} Dixie Chicks | |
| scope="row" |1999
|{{blue ribbon}} Shania Twain | |
| scope="row" |1998
|{{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |1997
|{{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |1996
|{{blue ribbon}} Brooks & Dunn | |
| scope="row" |1995
|{{blue ribbon}} Alan Jackson | |
| scope="row" |1994
|{{blue ribbon}} Vince Gill | |
| scope="row" |1993
|{{blue ribbon}} Vince Gill | |
| scope="row" |1992
|{{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |1991
|{{blue ribbon}} Garth Brooks | |
| scope="row" |1990
|{{blue ribbon}} George Strait | |
| scope="row" |1989
|{{blue ribbon}} George Strait | |
| scope="row" |1988
|{{blue ribbon}} Hank Williams, Jr. | |
| scope="row" |1987
|{{blue ribbon}} Hank Williams, Jr. | |
| scope="row" |1986
|{{blue ribbon}} Reba McEntire | |
| scope="row" |1985
|{{blue ribbon}} Ricky Skaggs | |
| scope="row" |1984
|{{blue ribbon}} Alabama | |
| scope="row" |1983
|{{blue ribbon}} Alabama | |
| scope="row" |1982
|{{blue ribbon}} Alabama | |
| scope="row" |1981
|{{blue ribbon}} Barbara Mandrell | |
| scope="row" |1980
|{{blue ribbon}} Barbara Mandrell | |
| scope="row" |1979
|{{blue ribbon}} Willie Nelson | |
| scope="row" |1978
|{{blue ribbon}} Dolly Parton | |
| scope="row" |1977
|{{blue ribbon}} Ronnie Milsap | |
| scope="row" |1976
|{{blue ribbon}} Mel Tillis | |
| scope="row" |1975
|{{blue ribbon}} John Denver | |
| scope="row" |1974
|{{blue ribbon}} Charlie Rich | |
| scope="row" |1973
|{{blue ribbon}} Roy Clark | |
| scope="row" |1972
|{{blue ribbon}} Loretta Lynn | |
| scope="row" |1971
|{{blue ribbon}} Charley Pride | |
| scope="row" |1970
|{{blue ribbon}} Merle Haggard | |
| scope="row" |1969
|{{blue ribbon}} Johnny Cash | |
| scope="row" |1968
|{{blue ribbon}} Glen Campbell | |
| scope="row" |1967
|{{blue ribbon}} Eddy Arnold | |
Artists with multiple wins
| class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Artists that received multiple awards |
| scope="col" style="width:55px;" |Awards
! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" |Artist |
|---|
| 7 |
| 4 |
| rowspan=3|3 |
| Alan Jackson |
| George Strait |
| rowspan=7|2 |
| Hank Williams Jr. |
| Keith Urban |
| Luke Bryan |
| Luke Combs |
| Taylor Swift |
| Vince Gill |
Artists with multiple nominations
;19 nominations
;13 nominations
;12 nominations
;11 nominations
;10 nominations
;9 nominations
;8 nominations
;
;6 nominations
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
{{div col end}}
;5 nominations
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
{{div col end}}
;4 nominations
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
{{div col end}}
;3 nominations
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- Dixie Chicks
- Dolly Parton
- Glen Campbell
- Hank Williams Jr.
- Johnny Cash
- Oak Ridge Boys
- The Judds
- Morgan Wallen
- Waylon Jennings
{{div col end}}
;2 nominations
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
=Won on First nomination=
- Eddy Arnold (1967)
- Glen Campbell (1968)
- Charlie Rich (1974)
- John Denver (1975)
- Mel Tillis (1976)
- Hank Williams Jr. (1987)
- Garth Brooks (1991)
- Shania Twain (1999)
- Keith Urban (2005)
- Taylor Swift (2009)
- Lainey Wilson (2023)
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Country Music Association Awards}}
{{CMA Entertainer of the Year}}