Country legend Alan Jackson will receive the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 56th Annual CMA Awards on Nov. 9. The award is given to artists who have attained the highest degree of recognition in country music and those who've positively impacted the genre and achieved "both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, streaming numbers, record sales and public representation at the highest level."
Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson will take the stage to honor the "Chattahoochee" hitmaker during the ceremony, which will be broadcast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 9 on ABC.
"We are thrilled to honor Alan Jackson this year with the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award," Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said in a press statement. "A three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, he is responsible for so many iconic moments in CMA Awards history. Just as has been influenced by many country legends throughout his career, he too has inspired a generation of artists to stay true to the authenticity of country music. We are so excited to bring Dierks, Jon, Carrie and Lainey together on the CMA Awards stage for what will surely be an incredible and touching tribute to an artist they each deeply admire. Having had the great fortune of working with Alan over the years, I am delighted we are honoring him with this milestone award next month."
Jackson, who's had 35 No. 1 hits and sold nearly 60 million albums, released his debut studio album Here in the Real World in 1990. Over the next 30 years, Jackson would rule the country charts with timeless songs such as "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow," "Wanted," "Don't Rock the Jukebox," "Someday," "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," "Small Town Southern Man" and more.
Previous recipients of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award include Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020) and Loretta Lynn (2021).
