# Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year

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. 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.
| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 2024 | Morgan Wallen | Luke Combs Jelly Roll Chris Stapleton Lainey Wilson |
| 2023 | Lainey Wilson | Luke Combs Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood Morgan Wallen |
| 2022 | Luke Combs | Miranda Lambert Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood Morgan Wallen |
| 2021 | Luke Combs | Eric Church Miranda Lambert Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood |
| 2020 | Eric Church | Luke Combs Miranda Lambert Carrie Underwood Keith Urban |
| 2019 | Garth Brooks | Eric Church Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood Keith Urban |
| 2018 | Keith Urban | Jason Aldean Luke Bryan Kenny Chesney Chris Stapleton |
| 2017 | Garth Brooks | Luke Bryan Eric Church Chris Stapleton Keith Urban |
| 2016 | Garth Brooks | Luke Bryan Chris Stapleton Carrie Underwood Keith Urban |
| 2015 | Luke Bryan | Miranda Lambert Eric Church Kenny Chesney Garth Brooks |
| 2014 | Luke Bryan | Miranda Lambert Blake Shelton George Strait Keith Urban |
| 2013 | George Strait | Jason Aldean Luke Bryan Blake Shelton Taylor Swift |
| 2012 | Blake Shelton | Jason Aldean Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley Taylor Swift |
| 2011 | Taylor Swift | Jason Aldean Brad Paisley Blake Shelton Keith Urban |
| 2010 | Brad Paisley | Lady Antebellum Miranda Lambert Keith Urban Zac Brown Band |
| 2009 | Taylor Swift | Kenny Chesney Brad Paisley George Strait Keith Urban |
| 2008 | Kenny Chesney | Brad Paisley George Strait Sugarland Keith Urban |
| 2007 | Kenny Chesney | Brad Paisley Rascal Flatts George Strait Keith Urban |
| 2006 | Kenny Chesney | Brooks & Dunn Brad Paisley Rascal Flatts Keith Urban |
| 2005 | Keith Urban | Kenny Chesney Alan Jackson Toby Keith Brad Paisley |
| 2004 | Kenny Chesney | Brooks & Dunn Alan Jackson Toby Keith Tim McGraw |
| 2003 | Alan Jackson | Brooks & Dunn Kenny Chesney Toby Keith Tim McGraw |
| 2002 | Alan Jackson | Brooks & Dunn Kenny Chesney Toby Keith George Strait |
| 2001 | Tim McGraw | Brooks & Dunn Dixie Chicks Alan Jackson George Strait |
| 2000 | Dixie Chicks | Faith Hill Alan Jackson Tim McGraw George Strait |
| 1999 | Shania Twain | Garth Brooks Dixie Chicks Tim McGraw George Strait |
| 1998 | Garth Brooks | Brooks & Dunn Vince Gill Tim McGraw George Strait |
| 1997 | Garth Brooks | Brooks & Dunn Vince Gill Alan Jackson George Strait |
| 1996 | Brooks & Dunn | Garth Brooks Vince Gill Alan Jackson George Strait |
| 1995 | Alan Jackson | Brooks & Dunn Garth Brooks Vince Gill Reba McEntire |
| 1994 | Vince Gill | Brooks & Dunn Garth Brooks Alan Jackson Reba McEntire |
| 1993 | Vince Gill | Brooks & Dunn Garth Brooks Alan Jackson Reba McEntire |
| 1992 | Garth Brooks | Vince Gill Alan Jackson Reba McEntire Travis Tritt |
| 1991 | Garth Brooks | Clint Black Vince Gill Reba McEntire George Strait |
| 1990 | George Strait | Clint Black Kathy Mattea Ricky Van Shelton Randy Travis |
| 1989 | George Strait | Reba McEntire Randy Travis Ricky Van Shelton Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 1988 | Hank Williams, Jr. | The Judds Reba McEntire George Strait Randy Travis |
| 1987 | Hank Williams, Jr. | The Judds Reba McEntire George Strait Randy Travis |
| 1986 | Reba McEntire | The Judds Willie Nelson Ricky Skaggs George Strait |
| 1985 | Ricky Skaggs | Alabama Lee Greenwood Reba McEntire George Strait |
| 1984 | Alabama | Lee Greenwood Barbara Mandrell Ronnie Milsap Oak Ridge Boys |
| 1983 | Alabama | Merle Haggard Barbara Mandrell Willie Nelson Ricky Skaggs |
| 1982 | Alabama | Barbara Mandrell Willie Nelson Oak Ridge Boys Ricky Skaggs |
| 1981 | Barbara Mandrell | Alabama George Jones Oak Ridge Boys Kenny Rogers |
| 1980 | Barbara Mandrell | Charlie Daniels Band Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Willie Nelson Kenny Rogers |
| 1979 | Willie Nelson | Crystal Gayle Barbara Mandrell Kenny Rogers Statler Brothers |
| 1978 | Dolly Parton | Crystal Gayle Ronnie Milsap Kenny Rogers Mel Tillis |
| 1977 | Ronnie Milsap | Merle Haggard Waylon Jennings Dolly Parton Kenny Rogers |
| 1976 | Mel Tillis | Waylon Jennings Ronnie Milsap Willie Nelson Dolly Parton |
| 1975 | John Denver | Waylon Jennings Loretta Lynn Ronnie Milsap Conway Twitty |
| 1974 | Charlie Rich | Roy Clark Mac Davis Loretta Lynn Olivia Newton-John |
| 1973 | Roy Clark | Merle Haggard Tom T. Hall Loretta Lynn Charley Pride |
| 1972 | Loretta Lynn | Merle Haggard Freddie Hart Charley Pride Jerry Reed |
| 1971 | Charley Pride | Merle Haggard Loretta Lynn Jerry Reed Conway Twitty |
| 1970 | Merle Haggard | Glen Campbell Johnny Cash Roy Clark Charley Pride |
| 1969 | Johnny Cash | Glen Campbell Roy Clark Merle Haggard Charley Pride |
| 1968 | Glen Campbell | Eddy Arnold Johnny Cash Merle Haggard Charley Pride |
| 1967 | Eddy Arnold | Bill Anderson Merle Haggard Sonny James Buck Owens |

## Artists with multiple wins

Artists that received multiple awards :
| Awards | Artist |
| 7 | Garth Brooks |
| 4 | Kenny Chesney |
| 3 | Alabama |
| 3 | Alan Jackson |
| 3 | George Strait |
| 2 | Barbara Mandrell |
| 2 | Hank Williams Jr. |
| 2 | Keith Urban |
| 2 | Luke Bryan |
| 2 | Luke Combs |
| 2 | Taylor Swift |
| 2 | Vince Gill |

## Artists with multiple nominations
### 19 nominations

* George Strait

### 13 nominations

* Garth Brooks
* Keith Urban

### 12 nominations

* Alan Jackson

### 11 nominations

* Brooks & Dunn
* Kenny Chesney

### 10 nominations

* Reba McEntire

### 9 nominations

* Merle Haggard

### 8 nominations

* Brad Paisley
* Vince Gill
* Chris Stapleton

### 6 nominations

* Barbara Mandrell
* Carrie Underwood
* Charley Pride
* Luke Bryan
* Miranda Lambert
* Tim McGraw
* Willie Nelson

### 5 nominations

* Alabama
* Eric Church
* Luke Combs
* Kenny Rogers
* Loretta Lynn
* Ronnie Milsap

### 4 nominations

* Blake Shelton
* Jason Aldean
* Randy Travis
* Ricky Skaggs
* Roy Clark
* Taylor Swift
* Toby Keith

### 3 nominations

* Dixie Chicks
* Dolly Parton
* Glen Campbell
* Hank Williams Jr.
* Johnny Cash
* Oak Ridge Boys
* The Judds
* Morgan Wallen
* Waylon Jennings

### 2 nominations

* Clint Black
* Crystal Gayle
* Eddy Arnold
* Lee Greenwood
* Conway Twitty
* Rascal Flatts
* Jerry Reed
* Mel Tillis
* Ricky Van Shelton
* Lainey Wilson

### 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)

### Won on Second nomination

* Johnny Cash (1969)
* Loretta Lynn (1972)
* Willie Nelson (1979)
* Barbara Mandrell (1980)
* Alabama (1982)
* Reba McEntire (1986)
* Dixie Chicks (2000)
* Blake Shelton (2012)
* Luke Bryan (2014)
* Luke Combs (2021)

### Won on Third nomination

* Roy Clark (1973)
* Ronnie Milsap (1977)
* Dolly Parton (1978)
* Ricky Skaggs (1985)
* Vince Gill (1993)
* Kenny Chesney (2004)
* Morgan Wallen (2024)

### Won on Fourth nomination

* Merle Haggard (1970)
* Charley Pride (1971)
* Alan Jackson (1995)
* Brooks & Dunn (1996)
* Tim McGraw (2001)
* Eric Church (2020)

### Won on Fifth nomination

* George Strait (1989)

### Won on Sixth nomination

* Brad Paisley (2010)