Vince Gill added a new accolade to his roster during the 2025 CMA Awards.
The singer, 68, received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the Wednesday, November 19, ceremony at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The honor began with a tribute performance of Gill’s song “When I Call Your Name” by Brandi Carlile and Patty Loveless. As Gill looked visibly emotional in the audience, stars including Morgane Stapleton and Ella Langley sang along in their seats.
Country legend George Strait then introduced Gill as a montage of photos flashed on a screen behind him.
“His guitar playing is amazing. His songwriting is amazing. His singing is amazing,” said Strait, 73. “He can sing higher than anybody I know. He is in the Country Music Hall of Fame. And he’s just an immense talent. Oh, yeah, and he plays with The Eagles. I could have just said that. There’s not a more deserving person to receive this great honor, which bears the name of the true icon himself, Willie Nelson.”
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Gill then took the stage and began with a joke about his aforementioned high singing voice. “It’s not lost on me that they had to have girls come out and sing for me tonight,” he quipped. “None of the boys can get up that high.”
The Grammy winner on to marvel at the “astounding” talent of other previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners before noting that he’s been friends with Nelson, 92, for 50 years. He then gave a shout-out to his kids as well as his wife, Amy Grant, calling her “the kindest soul I’ve ever known.”
Gill closed his speech with a message for Nelson, saying, “So, Willie, if you’re out there listening, 92 years old, you’re still inspiring us to this day.”
According to a press release from earlier this month, the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is bestowed upon “an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country music.”
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“The award recognizes those who have 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,” the press release continued. “The artist receiving this award has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over the course of many years and has proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on fans and industry alike.”
Past recipients of the lifetime achievement award include Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson and George Strait.
“Vince embodies the very best of what country music stands for,” CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said in a press release statement earlier this month. “He’s a true trailblazer, one who gives back to the community, honors the roots of our genre and even now, continues to share his talent with fans across the globe. As a Country Music Hall of Fame member, 18-time CMA Award winner and former 12-time CMA Awards host, he remains a vibrant force in our industry, and we’re honored to celebrate an artist whose influence is so deeply woven into the fabric of our format.”
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Gill’s previous CMAs wins include two for Entertainer of the Year, two for Album of the Year, five for Male Vocalist of the Year, four for Song of the Year (more than any other artist in CMAs history), four for Song of the Year, one for Single of the Year and four for Vocal Event of the Year. He also received the CMA Irving Waugh Award of Excellence in 2014 and the CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award in 2017 and is a four-time CMA Triple Play Award winner.
In addition to his 18 CMAs trophies, Gill hosted the awards show more times than anyone else, helming the ceremony from 1992 to 2003.
Gill made his country music breakthrough in 1990 with his hit “When I Call Your Name.” Since then, he has released 20 albums, sold more than 30 million records and charted 45 singles. Gill is currently celebrating his 50th anniversary of performing by dropping a series of EPs — with the theme of 50 Years From Home — over the course of a year. The first one, titled I Gave You Everything I Had, came out in October.
