George Strait will join an illustrious group of country stars who’ve earned the CMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award when he’s honored next week in Nashville.
The country icon will also be the focus of a tribute to his music, as performed by an all-star group of artists. This will not be the year to complain the CMAs didn’t include any “real country music.”
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Here is a list of all past recipients of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. It is not given out ever year. The first was Nelson, in 2012.
- Willie Nelson (2012)
- Kenny Rogers (2013)
- Johnny Cash (2015)
- Dolly Parton (2016)
- Kris Kristofferson (2019)
- Charley Pride (2020)
- Loretta Lynn (2021)
- Alan Jackson (2022).
The last time Strait was nominated for a CMA Award was in 2014, when he was up for CMA Entertainer of the Year. He’d won the award the year prior, giving him three lifetime wins in the category.
Other career accomplishments for Strait include 60 No. 1 singles, 17 CMA wins, 83 CMA nominations (the most ever) and 70 million albums sold. This gives whomever is going to fete the King plenty of ammo for a great 10 to 15 minutes of television.
A press release stops short of saying Strait will be in attendance for the honor, but other artists living at the time they received this particular CMA showed up.
The last time Strait took the stage was in 2016, alongside Alan Jackson. Even though Strait has one of the most famous faces in the genre, he rarely shows up for awards shows.
Last week, the CMAs announced the first batch of performers for Nov. 20 — it’s a group that includes Wilson, Post Malone, Shaboozey and Luke Bryan.
George Strait has sold his one-of-a-kind mansion in Texas, and it was actually a real deal. The country legend asked $6.9 million for his 7,925-square-foot home that includes three bedrooms, four full bathrooms and two half-baths on a hilltop in a very exclusive area of San Antonio. The final selling price was not disclosed.
The house sits on 12.2 acres and includes a gourmet kitchen, separate his and her bathrooms and closets and 14 hand-sculpted masonry fireplaces. The main house is wired for surround sound throughout, and it also features outdoor living spaces including a patio with built-in grill, sink, icemaker and refrigerator. There’s also an infinity pool/spa and a sports court, a workout room with a private bathroom and sauna, and a walk-in safe room.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
George Strait is the undisputed King of Country. With a career spanning over 40 years, he has charted more than 60 No. 1 country songs and has more No. 1 hits than any other artist in a single genre.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul