# Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year

The Country Music Association Awards is a major awards show in country music, with one of the primary awards being the New Artist of the Year Award. This award honors artists who have achieved national prominence through their work and are voted to have great success in the genre going forward. The award was known as the Horizon Award from 1981 until 2007 when it received its current title. An artist can be nominated twice in the New Artist category before they become ineligible, although the point at which an artist received "national prominence" is decided by the Country Music Association and is often a source of debate amongst fans and media. The inaugural recipient of this award was Terri Gibbs and the most recent winner is Jelly Roll.

## Recipients
### 2020s

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 2024 | Megan Moroney | Shaboozey Nate Smith Mitchell Tenpenny Zach Top Bailey Zimmerman |
| 2023 | Jelly Roll | Zach Bryan Parker McCollum Megan Moroney Hailey Whitters |
| 2022 | Lainey Wilson | HARDY Walker Hayes Cody Johnson Parker McCollum |
| 2021 | Jimmie Allen | Ingrid Andress Gabby Barrett Mickey Guyton HARDY |
| 2020 | Morgan Wallen | Jimmie Allen Ingrid Andress Gabby Barrett Carly Pearce |

### 2010s

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 2019 | Ashley McBryde | Cody Johnson Midland Carly Pearce Morgan Wallen |
| 2018 | Luke Combs | Lauren Alaina Chris Janson Midland Brett Young |
| 2017 | Jon Pardi | Lauren Alaina Luke Combs Old Dominion Brett Young |
| 2016 | Maren Morris | Kelsea Ballerini Old Dominion Brothers Osborne Cole Swindell |
| 2015 | Chris Stapleton | Kelsea Ballerini Sam Hunt Maddie & Tae Thomas Rhett |
| 2014 | Brett Eldredge | Brandy Clark Kip Moore Thomas Rhett Cole Swindell |
| 2013 | Kacey Musgraves | Lee Brice Brett Eldredge Florida Georgia Line Kip Moore |
| 2012 | Hunter Hayes | Lee Brice Brantley Gilbert Love and Theft Thompson Square |
| 2011 | The Band Perry | Luke Bryan Eric Church Thompson Square Chris Young |
| 2010 | Zac Brown Band | Luke Bryan Easton Corbin Jerrod Niemann Chris Young |

### 2000s

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 2009 | Darius Rucker | Randy Houser Jamey Johnson Jake Owen Zac Brown Band |
| 2008 | Lady Antebellum | Jason Aldean Rodney Atkins James Otto Kellie Pickler |
| 2007 | Taylor Swift | Jason Aldean Rodney Atkins Little Big Town Kellie Pickler |
| 2006 | Carrie Underwood | Miranda Lambert Little Big Town Sugarland Josh Turner |
| 2005 | Dierks Bentley | Big & Rich Miranda Lambert Julie Roberts Sugarland |
| 2004 | Gretchen Wilson | Dierks Bentley Big & Rich Julie Roberts Josh Turner |
| 2003 | Joe Nichols | Gary Allan Buddy Jewell Blake Shelton Darryl Worley |
| 2002 | Rascal Flatts | Carolyn Dawn Johnson Nickel Creek Phil Vassar Darryl Worley |
| 2001 | Keith Urban | Jessica Andrews Nickel Creek Jamie O'Neal Phil Vassar |
| 2000 | Brad Paisley | Sara Evans Montgomery Gentry SHeDAISY Chely Wright |

### 1990s

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 1999 | Jo Dee Messina | Kenny Chesney Sara Evans The Wilkinsons Chely Wright |
| 1998 | Dixie Chicks | Trace Adkins Jo Dee Messina Michael Peterson Lee Ann Womack |
| 1997 | LeAnn Rimes | Trace Adkins Deana Carter Terri Clark Lee Ann Womack |
| 1996 | Bryan White | Terri Clark Wade Hayes LeAnn Rimes Shania Twain |
| 1995 | Alison Krauss | David Ball John Berry Faith Hill Shania Twain |
| 1994 | John Michael Montgomery | Faith Hill Martina McBride Tim McGraw Lee Roy Parnell |
| 1993 | Mark Chesnutt | Sammy Kershaw Tracy Lawrence John Michael Montgomery Trisha Yearwood |
| 1992 | Suzy Bogguss | Brooks & Dunn Billy Dean Pam Tillis Trisha Yearwood |
| 1991 | Travis Tritt | Mary Chapin Carpenter Mark Chesnutt Doug Stone Pam Tillis |
| 1990 | Garth Brooks | Alan Jackson Kentucky Headhunters Lorrie Morgan Travis Tritt |

### 1980s

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 1989 | Clint Black | Desert Rose Band Patty Loveless Shenandoah Keith Whitley |
| 1988 | Ricky Van Shelton | Highway 101 Patty Loveless K.T. Oslin Sweethearts of the Rodeo |
| 1987 | Holly Dunn | T. Graham Brown The O'Kanes Restless Heart Sweethearts of the Rodeo |
| 1986 | Randy Travis | The Forester Sisters Kathy Mattea Dan Seals Dwight Yoakam |
| 1985 | Sawyer Brown | Ray Charles Mel McDaniel Eddy Raven John Schneider |
| 1984 | The Judds | Deborah Allen Earl Thomas Conley Vern Gosdin Michael Martin Murphey |
| 1983 | John Anderson | Vern Gosdin Reba McEntire George Strait The Whites |
| 1982 | Ricky Skaggs | John Anderson Rosanne Cash David Frizzell Lee Greenwood |
| 1981 | Terri Gibbs | Rosanne Cash David Frizzell and Shelly West T. G. Sheppard Boxcar Willie |