Artists With the Most CMA Awards

Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson and Blake Shelton moved up our list of the top winners of all time at the Country Music Association Awards. Brooks & Dunn won vocal duo of the year for the 16th time. Wilson won three awards – entertainer of the year, female vocalist of the year and album of the year for Whirlwind. Shelton won musical event of the year for his featured role on Post Malone’s “Pour Me a Drink.”

The CMA Awards were first presented in 1967. Eddy Arnold, a country star since the 1940s, was the first entertainer of the year winner. Loretta Lynn won female vocalist of the year. Jack Greene, though less-remembered today, was the night’s top winner with three awards – album of the year, single of the year and male vocalist of the year.

The show was first televised the following year, 1968 – more than two years before the Grammy Awards presented their first live telecast in March 1971. It’s one of the few awards shows that has aired on all three major networks – NBC (1968-71), CBS (1972-2005) and ABC (2006 to the present).

Thirteen artists have won 11 or more CMA Awards in competition. Here is a complete list. This list doesn’t count honorary awards. Following the lead of the official CMA list of its all-time top winners, it gives artists credit for just one win in a category, even if they also produced or co-produced the recording.

We also looked back to see if the acts won new artist of the year (known as the horizon award from 1981-2007). As you will see, not all did!

Here’s a complete list of all artists who have won 11 or more CMA Awards.