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. 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. At the 53rd CMA Awards, fiddle player Jenee Fleenor became the first woman to be nominated for the award for Musician of the Year.

Recipients

YearWinnerNominees
2019 Jenee Fleenor
2018 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
  • Dan Huff
  • Brent Mason
    • 2008 Mac McAnally
  • Jerry Douglas
  • Paul Franklin
  • Dan 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

    • Category facts

    ;Most wins
    Rank1st2nd3rd
    Total wins10 wins6 wins5 wins
    ArtistChet Atkins
    Mac McAnally    		Johnny GimbleMark O'Connor

    ;Most nominations without a win
    Rank1st2nd3rd
    Total wins27 nominations12 nominations10 nominations
    ArtistPaul FranklinFloyd CramerEddie Bayers