The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, instituted in 2012 during the 46th CMA Awards, is given by the Country Music Association. The presentation of the award is intended to "honor an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country Music (that) achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales, and public representation at the highest level", with the condition that the recipient "must have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over time".^[1]

The award, first presented to Willie Nelson, and named after him, was designed by Chicago manufacturer R.S. Owens & Company. The trophy was built resembling the "bullet shape" of a regular CMA award, formed by two aluminum struts that support a bronze medallion on top, with the entire structure attached to a walnut base.^[2]

Recipients

† Indicates a posthumous award

Year	Recipients		Achievements	Tribute Performance
2012		Willie Nelson	Ten-time CMA winner (including the 1979 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Sixty One studio albums Thirty Three Number One singles Fifteen-time Grammy winner 1998 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	"Always on My Mind" and "Crazy" — Lady A "Whiskey River"— Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Mickey Raphael "Good Hearted Woman" — Tim McGraw and Faith Hill "On the Road Again" — Willie Nelson (with Shelton, Urban, Hill, McGraw and Lady A)
2013		Kenny Rogers	Five-time CMA Awards winner Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Thirty Seven studio albums Thirty Number One singles Three-time Grammy winner	"Sweet Music Man" — Jennifer Nettles "Just Dropped In"— Rascal Flatts "The Gambler" — Darius Rucker "Islands in the Stream"— Kenny Rogers (with Nettles)
2015		Johnny Cash†	Nine-time CMA winner (including the 1969 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music, Rock and Roll and Gospel Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Fifty-five studio albums Thirteen Number One singles Eighteen-time Grammy winner 1996 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	—
2016		Dolly Parton	Nine-time CMA winner (including the 1978 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music, Songwriters and Gospel Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Forty-Three solo studio albums Twenty Five Number One singles Ten-time Grammy winner 2006 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	"Jolene" — Jennifer Nettles (with Pentatonix) "9 to 5" — Reba McEntire "Here You Come Again" — Kacey Musgraves "I Will Always Love You" — Carrie Underwood and Martina McBride (with Nettles, Musgraves and McEntire)
2019		Kris Kristofferson[a]	Eight-time CMA nominee (One award for 1970 CMA Song of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame 1976 Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Thirty studio albums One Number One single Three-time Grammy winner 2003 Americana Music Award for Free Speech recipient	"Me and Bobby McGee" — Dierks Bentley, Sheryl Crow, Chris Janson, Joe Walsh and John Osborne
2020		Charley Pride	Three-time CMA winner (including the 1971 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Forty-seven studio albums Forty Number One singles Three-time Grammy Award winner	"Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" — Charley Pride (with Jimmie Allen)
2021		Loretta Lynn[b]	Eight-time CMA winner (including the 1972 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music and Songwriters Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Sixty-Two studio albums Twenty Three Number One singles Four-time Grammy winner 2003 Kennedy Center Honors recipient	—
2022		Alan Jackson	Sixteen-time CMA winner (including the 1995, 2002 and 2003 Entertainer of the Year) Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Member of the Grand Ole Opry Nineteen studio albums Twenty-Seven Number One singles Two-time Grammy Award winner	"Remember When" — Carrie Underwood "Chattahoochee" — Dierks Bentley "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" — Jon Pardi "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" — Lainey Wilson "Don't Rock the Jukebox" — Alan Jackson

^ a. Kristofferon was not in attendance when he received the award as he had a show scheduled on the same night.
^ b. Lynn was not in attendance when she received her award.

Sources:^[3][4][5][6]