Country Music Association Award for Musician of the Year

The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Musician of the Year.^[1] First presented at the inaugural CMA Awards in 1967 to Chet Atkins as the Instrumentalist of the Year award, the category received its current name at the 1988 CMA Awards.

Country Music Association Award for Musician of the Year
Country	United States
Presented by	Country Music Association
First awarded	1967
Currently held by	Jenee Fleenor (2023)

The inaugural recipient of the award was guitarist Chet Atkins, who won in 1967. Atkins and Mac McAnally hold the record for most wins in the category, with ten each, while pedal steel player Paul Franklin has a leading thirty one nominations without ever winning. The first female nominee and winner in this category is fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, who is also the current holder of the award following her fifth consecutive win at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2023.^[2]

Recipients

Three-time recipient Jerry Douglas is known for playing dobro with Alison Krauss and Union Station.

Three-time winner Randy Scruggs.

Fiddle player Mark O'Connor is a six-time winner.

Charlie Daniels received the award in 1979.

Roy Clark won the award three times.

Two-time recipient Charlie McCoy.

Year	Winner	Nominees
2023[3]	Jenee Fleenor	Paul Franklin Rob McNelley Derek Wells Charlie Worsham
2022[4]	Jenee Fleenor	Paul Franklin Brent Mason Ilya Toshinskiy Derek Wells
2021	Jenee Fleenor	Paul Franklin Aaron Sterling Ilya Toshinsky Derek Wells
2020	Jenee Fleenor	Paul Franklin Rob McNelley Ilya Toshinsky Derek Wells
2019	Jenee Fleenor	Paul Franklin Mac McAnally Ilya Toshinsky Derek Wells
2018[5]	Mac McAnally	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Derek Wells
2017	Mac McAnally	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Derek Wells
2016	Dann Huff	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Brent Mason Derek Wells
2015	Mac McAnally	Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff
2014	Mac McAnally	Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff
2013	Mac McAnally	Sam Bush Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
2012	Mac McAnally	Sam Bush Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
2011	Mac McAnally	Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff
2010	Mac McAnally	Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason Randy Scruggs
2009	Mac McAnally	Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
2008	Mac McAnally	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
2007	Jerry Douglas	Eddie Bayers Dann Huff Mac McAnally Randy Scruggs
2006	Randy Scruggs	Eddie Bayers Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
2005	Jerry Douglas	Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason Randy Scruggs
2004	Dann Huff	Matt Chamberlain Kenny Greenberg Larry Paxton Brent Rowan
2003	Randy Scruggs	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Aubrey Haynie Brent Mason
2002	Jerry Douglas	Glen Duncan Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
2001	Dann Huff	Stuart Duncan Paul Franklin John Hobbs Brent Mason
2000	Hargus "Pig" Robbins	Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason Brent Rowan
1999	Randy Scruggs	Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason
1998	Brent Mason	Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Matt Rollings Brent Rowan
1997	Brent Mason	Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Matt Rollings Brent Rowan
1996	Mark O'Connor	Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings
1995	Mark O'Connor	Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings
1994	Mark O'Connor	Eddie Bayers Brent Mason Matt Rollings Brent Rowan
1993	Mark O'Connor	John Barlow Jarvis Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings
1992	Mark O'Connor	Eddie Bayers Larrie Londin Matt Rollings Brent Rowan
1991	Mark O'Connor	Chet Atkins Barry Beckett Paul Franklin Matt Rollings
1990	Johnny Gimble	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Mark O'Connor Brent Rowan
1989	Johnny Gimble	Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Mark O'Connor Don Potter
1988	Chet Atkins	David Briggs Jerry Douglas Johnny Gimble Mark O'Connor
1987	Johnny Gimble	Jerry Douglas Mark O'Connor
1986	Johnny Gimble	Jerry Douglas Doyle Grisham Mark O'Connor
1985	Chet Atkins	Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Hargus "Pig" Robbins Buddy Spicher
1984	Chet Atkins	Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins
1983	Chet Atkins	Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins Buddy Spicher
1982	Chet Atkins	Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins
1981	Chet Atkins	Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins
1980	Roy Clark	Chet Atkins Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy
1979	Charlie Daniels	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Buddy Emmons Charlie McCoy
1978	Roy Clark	Chet Atkins Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Jerry Reed
1977	Roy Clark	Chet Atkins Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins
1976	Hargus "Pig" Robbins	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy
1975	Johnny Gimble	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Charlie McCoy Jerry Reed
1974	Don Rich	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Lloyd Green Charlie McCoy
1973	Charlie McCoy	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Lloyd Green Jerry Reed
1972	Charlie McCoy	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Jerry Reed
1971	Jerry Reed	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Boots Randolph
1970	Jerry Reed	Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Merle Travis
1969	Chet Atkins	Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Jerry Reed John Rich
1968	Chet Atkins	Glen Campbell Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Boots Randolph
1967	Chet Atkins	Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Pete Drake Boots Randolph

Artists with multiple wins

Artists that received multiple awards

Awards	Artist
10	Chet Atkins
	Mac McAnally
6	Johnny Gimble
5	Mark O'Connor
	Jenee Fleenor
3	Dan Huff
	Jerry Douglas
	Roy Clark
2	Brent Mason
	Charlie McCoy
	Hargus "Pig" Robbins
	Jerry Reed
	Randy Scruggs

Artists with multiple nominations

31 nominations

• Paul Franklin

21 nominations

• Chet Atkins

20 nominations

• Brent Mason

19 nominations

• Dann Huff

17 nominations

• Jerry Douglas

15 nominations

• Roy Clark

14 nominations

• Johnny Gimble

13 nominations

• Charlie McCoy

12 nominations

• Floyd Cramer
• Mac McAnally

11 nominations

• Mark O'Connor

10 nominations

• Eddie Bayers

8 nominations

• Derek Wells
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins
• Matt Rollings

7 nominations

• Brent Rowan
• Jerry Reed

6 nominations

• Randy Scruggs

5 nominations

• Jenee Fleenor
• Sam Bush

4 nominations

• Ilya Toshinskiy

3 nominations

• Boots Randolph

2 nominations

• Buddy Spicher
• Lloyd Green
• Rob McNelley

References

1. "Past Winners And Nominees". 2019 CMA Awards | Wednesday, November 13 on ABC.
2. "CMA Awards 2019: Jenee Fleenor becomes first woman to win Musician of the Year".
3. "Lainey Wilson Leads 2023 CMA Awards Nominations – And Makes History (Full List)". Billboard. September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
4. "First-Timer Lainey Wilson Leads Nominations for 2022 CMA Awards: Full List". Billboard.
5. McCarthy, Kelly (August 28, 2018). "2018 CMA Awards nominations: See the full list". ABC News. Retrieved August 28, 2018.