Which Country Artist Has Won the Most CMA Awards? 

The CMA Awards are tonight, November 20, and the competition is fierce this year. Morgan Wallen leads the nominations with seven, while Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson are tied with five. Additionally, Lainey Wilson is defending her Entertainer of the Year title from 2023. But what about those artists who are already highly awarded? Who has the most CMA Awards in the country music world?

Most CMA Award Wins Ever

Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill hold the current title for most wins, with 18 a piece—although someone on our list below is breathing down their neck thanks to a dominant century run. George Strait, who will be honored at tonight’s awards, has won 17 CMAs, with legend Alan Jackson checking in at 16.

[RELATED: 3 Artists That Have Surprisingly Never Won a CMA Award]

Most Wins Since 2000

3. Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert currently holds 14 CMA Awards, having won them all since 2010. Most notably, she has won Female Vocalist of the Year seven times, winning consecutively for six years. In 2010, she won Album of the Year for Revolution and Music Video of the Year for “The House That Built Me.” 2011 gave her the first of her Female Vocalist awards, while 2012 brought her a Song of the Year award for “Over You.” In 2014, she won Single of the Year for “Automatic,” Album of the Year with Platinum, and Musical Event of the Year for “We Were Us” with Keith Urban.

In 2017 she won Female Vocalist of the Year again, and in 2020 won Music Video of the Year for “Bluebird.” She’s been in a bit of a CMA Awards dry spell since then, and her recent album, Postcards from Texas, is not up for any awards this year. However, she may return in 2025 with another Female Vocalist of the Year nomination. We’ll have to wait and see.

2. Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley has been winning CMA Awards since 2000 and has collected 14 in those years, putting him on par with Miranda Lambert. In 2000, he won the Horizon Award, which is now called the New Artist of the Year Award. 2001 brought Paisley a Vocal Event of the Year award for “Too Country,” while 2002 saw him win Music Video of the Year for “I’m Gonna Miss Her.”

In 2004, Paisley won the CMA awards for Music Video of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for “Whiskey Lullaby” with Alison Krauss. 2006 awarded him with another Musical Event of the Year for “When I Get Where I’m Going” as well as Album of the Year for Time Well Wasted. His streak continued into 2007 with Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Online.” Additionally, he won Male Vocalist of the Year again in 2008 and 2009.

While Paisley hasn’t been nominated for a CMA Award since 2012, he hosted the show alongside Carrie Underwood from 2008 until 2018. Their chemistry was a breath of fresh air for country fans, and many hope they return to the show one day.

1. Chris Stapleton

Currently, Chris Stapleton has 16 CMA Awards to his name, which he amassed since 2015. That year, he swept the awards by winning Album of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year. In 2016 he won Male Vocalist of the Year again, as well as Music Video of the Year for “Fire Away.” He won Male Vocalist four years in a row, winning again in 2021, as well as Album of the Year, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year. His streak continued into 2022 and 2023 when he won Male Vocalist yet again.

Chris Stapleton has been nominated for Entertainer of the Year almost every year since 2016, with the exception being 2020. He’s nominated again this year. One can only hope this is the year he gets over the Entertainer of the Year slump and wins it all.

Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA