Lainey Wilson, Parker McCollum & More Honor George Strait With Special Tribute Performance At 2024 CMA Awards
Strait was the recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lainey Wilson, Parker McCollum, Miranda Lambert, George Strait; Photo by Disney/Frank Micelotta
During tonight’s 58th Annual CMA Awards, George Strait was celebrated with an incredibly moving tribute from a few of his fellow country stars in honor of him being named the 2024 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Lainey Wilson was first to take the stage. She lent her Louisiana-bred vocals to Strait’s classic “Amarillo By Morning” in a performance backed by Jeane Fleenor and Charlie Worsham. The songstress expressed how “grateful” she was to get the chance to honor such an icon among the country music community.
“I’m so grateful and so honor to be on stage here tonight to pay tribute to our king of country, George Strait,” she told viewers.
Next up was Jamey Johnson with a powerful delivery of “Give It Away,” followed by Miranda Lambert who was joined by Parker McCollum in singing 2008’s “Troubadour.” As the fellow Texas natives belted out the beloved tune, photos of Strait’s life and career flashed on the screen, making for one of the most moving moments of the entire night.
Several artists seated throughout the audience were captured singing along to the hits, including Luke Combs. The last country star to lend their vocals to the special tribute was Chris Stapleton who was joined by the honoree himself to deliver their collaborative track, “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” which appears on Strait’s latest album, Cowboys & Dreamers.
Following their performance, Stapleton remained at the mic and shared a few kind words about his duet partner before presenting him with the coveted award.
“It is my great honor tonight to present the Willie Nelson Achievement award to a true country music royalty, the king of country, George Strait,” Stapleton said proudly.
After claiming his award, Strait began his acceptance speech by thanking “my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” as well as the Country Music Association for selecting him as this year’s recipient. He now joins the “small list” of past recipients including Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020), Loretta Lynn (2021) and Alan Jackson (2022),” who have each helped carried down the name of the icon.
“I want to thank all of these great artists who performed some of my songs that I’ve recorded over the years. It’s amazing to hear y’all do them. I’m so glad I got ’em before you,” he said earning a laugh from the audience. “I want to thank MCA Records all my fans. Y’all are great.”
Strait then gave a special shoutout to the longtime members of his team who have passed, including his manager, Erv Woolsey, his road manager, Tom Foote, and his Ace in the Hole Band fiddle player, Gene, Elders.
The “Amarillo By Morning” singer also made sure to point out several members of his family members, including his wife of over 50 years, Norma, who were all seen cheering him on in Bridgestone Arena tonight.
“And last but not least, my family who are all here tonight, my wife Norma, my son Bubba, his wife Tamara, my grandkids, Harvey and Jillian. So great to have y’all here, but especially Norma, who supported me for just shy of 53 years in December. It’s been an amazing 53 years too. Thank you everybody,” Strait concluded.
The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a legendary artist who is widely known for their successful career within the world of country music. According to the Country Music Association, the award was established in the name of country music great, Willie Nelson, and aims to highlight those who have achieved both national and international acclaim through their concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming success, record sales and public representation at the highest level.
George Strait has far surpassed these goals throughout his 40+ years in the business and has already made a lasting impact on the genre. In total, he has notched an unprecedented 60 No.1 singles to date, 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums, sold over 70 million albums, and earned the title of being the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades.
In addition to all that, the Texas native has also released 31 studio albums, three live albums, and 11 compilation and has collected over 60 major entertainment industry awards. These honors include three CMA Entertainer of the Year Awards (1989, 1990, 2013); 17 CMA Award wins, 83 total CMA Award nominations (making him the most-nominated artist) and memberships in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson, “Country Music’s Biggest Night” took place downtown Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 20 and aired live at 8/7c on ABC.
Written by
Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.