Vince Gill To Receive CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill will add to his already considerable collection of accolades, when he is honored with the 2025 CMA Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award during the 59th annual CMA Awards, slated for Nov. 19 in Nashville and airing on ABC. This year’s CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, will be held at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, and will broadcast on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The awards show will also stream the following day on Hulu.

The CMA Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award is given to “an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music,” a release from the CMA states, adding, “The award recognizes those who have achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming numbers, record sales, and public representation at the highest level,” as well as artists who have “positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over the course of many years.”

Previous recipients of the CMA Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award include Johnny Cash (2015), Alan Jackson (2022), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Loretta Lynn (2021), Nelson (2012), Charley Pride (2020) and George Strait (2024).

Recently, Gill signed a lifetime record deal with his longtime label home, Nashville’s MCA Records, and issued the EP 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had, which released Oct. 17.

To date, Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, including four wins for song of the year, for his hits “When I Call Your Name,” “Look at Us,” “I Still Believe in You” and “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” He also shares the record for the most times hosting the CMA Awards, which he hosted from 1992 to 2003. He has previously won other CMA honors, including the CMA’s Irving Waugh award of excellence in 2014, as well as the CMA foundation humanitarian award in 2017, and is a four-time CMA triple play award honoree.

Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. He has also won 22 Grammy Awards. In addition to his accomplishments as a solo artist, Gill has been part of several groups, including Pure Prairie League, The Cherry Bombs and The Time Jumpers. He was also invited to join the Eagles on tour in 2017, and continues contributing his talents to the legendary group.

“Vince embodies the very best of what Country Music stands for,” Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, said in a statement. “He’s a true trailblazer, one who gives back to the community, honors the roots of our genre, and even now, continues to share his talent with fans across the globe. As a Country Music Hall of Fame member, 18-time CMA Award winner, and former 12-time CMA Awards host, he remains a vibrant force in our industry, and we’re honored to celebrate an artist whose influence is so deeply woven into the fabric of our format.”