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.
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 three nominations without ever winning, finally winning for the first time in 2025 at the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards. The first female nominee and winner in this category is fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, who first won at the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2019. The current holder of the award is Paul Franklin.
Recipients
YearWinnerNominees2026 TBA Tom Bukovac Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Rob McNelley Charlie Worsham2025 Paul Franklin Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Brent Mason Rob McNelley Derek Wells2024 Charlie Worsham Tom Bukovac Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Rob McNelley2023 Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Rob McNelley Derek Wells Charlie Worsham2022 Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Brent Mason Ilya Toshinskiy Derek Wells2021 Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Aaron Sterling Ilya Toshinsky Derek Wells2020 Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Rob McNelley Ilya Toshinsky Derek Wells2019 Jenee Fleenor Paul Franklin Mac McAnally Ilya Toshinsky Derek Wells2018 Mac McAnally Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Derek Wells2017 Mac McAnally Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Derek Wells2016 Dann Huff Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Brent Mason Derek Wells2015 Mac McAnally Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff2014 Mac McAnally Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff2013 Mac McAnally Sam Bush Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason2012 Mac McAnally Sam Bush Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason2011 Mac McAnally Sam Bush Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff2010 Mac McAnally Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason Randy Scruggs2009 Mac McAnally Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason2008 Mac McAnally Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason2007 Jerry Douglas Eddie Bayers Dann Huff Mac McAnally Randy Scruggs2006 Randy Scruggs Eddie Bayers Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason2005 Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason Randy Scruggs2004 Dann Huff Matt Chamberlain Kenny Greenberg Larry Paxton Brent Rowan2003 Randy Scruggs Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Aubrey Haynie Brent Mason2002 Jerry Douglas Glen Duncan Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason2001 Dann Huff Stuart Duncan Paul Franklin John Hobbs Brent Mason2000 Hargus "Pig" Robbins Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason Brent Rowan1999 Randy Scruggs Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Dann Huff Brent Mason1998 Brent Mason Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Matt Rollings Brent Rowan1997 Brent Mason Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Matt Rollings Brent Rowan1996 Mark O'Connor Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings1995 Mark O'Connor Eddie Bayers Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings1994 Mark O'Connor Eddie Bayers Brent Mason Matt Rollings Brent Rowan1993 Mark O'Connor John Barlow Jarvis Paul Franklin Brent Mason Matt Rollings1992 Mark O'Connor Eddie Bayers Larrie Londin Matt Rollings Brent Rowan1991 Mark O'Connor Chet Atkins Barry Beckett Paul Franklin Matt Rollings1990 Johnny Gimble Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Mark O'Connor Brent Rowan1989 Johnny Gimble Jerry Douglas Paul Franklin Mark O'Connor Don Potter1988 Chet Atkins David Briggs Jerry Douglas Johnny Gimble Mark O'Connor1987 Johnny Gimble Jerry Douglas Mark O'Connor1986 Johnny Gimble Jerry Douglas Doyle Grisham Mark O'Connor1985 Chet Atkins Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Hargus "Pig" Robbins Buddy Spicher1984 Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins1983 Chet Atkins Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins Buddy Spicher1982 Chet Atkins Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins1981 Chet Atkins Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins1980 Roy Clark Chet Atkins Floyd Cramer Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy1979 Charlie Daniels Chet Atkins Roy Clark Buddy Emmons Charlie McCoy1978 Roy Clark Chet Atkins Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Jerry Reed1977 Roy Clark Chet Atkins Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy Hargus "Pig" Robbins1976 Hargus "Pig" Robbins Chet Atkins Roy Clark Johnny Gimble Charlie McCoy1975 Johnny Gimble Chet Atkins Roy Clark Charlie McCoy Jerry Reed1974 Don Rich Chet Atkins Roy Clark Lloyd Green Charlie McCoy1973 Charlie McCoy Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Lloyd Green Jerry Reed1972 Charlie McCoy Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Jerry Reed1971 Jerry Reed Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Boots Randolph1970 Jerry Reed Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Merle Travis1969 Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Jerry Reed John Rich1968 Chet Atkins Glen Campbell Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Boots Randolph1967 Chet Atkins Roy Clark Floyd Cramer Pete Drake Boots Randolph
Musicians with multiple wins + Musicians that received multiple awardsAwardsArtist10Mac McAnally8Chet Atkins6Mark O'Connor5Jenee FleenorJohnny Gimble3Dann HuffJerry DouglasRandy ScruggsRoy Clark2Brent MasonCharlie McCoyHargus "Pig" RobbinsJerry Reed
Musicians with multiple nominations 34 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 Jenee Fleenor
6 nominations Randy Scruggs
5 nominations Sam Bush
4 nominations Ilya Toshinskiy Rob McNelley
3 nominations Boots Randolph Charlie Worsham
2 nominations Tom Bukovac Buddy Spicher Lloyd Green
References