Nicknamed the “King of Country Music”, George Strait gained the title due to the mountain of success he created in the genre. Throughout his career, the country legend sold over 120 million albums. He is also one of the only singers in history to produce a Top 10 hit every year spanning three decades. And when it comes to accolades, Strait holds three Entertainer of the Year awards. He even set the record for the largest ticketed event for a solo act in history with nearly 111,000 people. A true icon in country music and the music industry, it appears Strait will receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 CMA Awards.
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Hosted at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 20th, the CMA Awards will air live on ABC. While featuring stunning performances and more than a few historic moments, country music hoped to honor a singer who defined what it meant to be country.
George Strait Joins Country Legends
As for the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, it was first handed out in 2012 to Willie Nelson. Not given out every year, singers like Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, and even Kris Kristofferson walked away with the honor. The last person to win the award was Jackson in 2022.
While excited about the celebration honoring Strait’s career, Sarah Trahern, the CMA Chief Executive Officer, wrote in the statement, “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.”
Although listing a few of his achievements, Trahern added, “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.”
Don’t miss the 58th annual CMA Awards, airing live on November 20th on ABC.
(Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT)
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