List of recipients of the CMA Founding President's Award

The following list shows all recipients of the Country Music Association's (CMA) Founding President's Award,^[1] instituted as the Connie B. Gay Award. The award was established in 1963, as an honor of high prestige in recognition of the most outstanding service to the CMA by a member not currently serving as an officer or director.^[2] Connie B. Gay, co-founder and first president of the CMA funded the award with his personal assets and established a trust, in his will, to ensure the perpetual viability of this award beyond his lifetime.^[2]

1960s

• 1963 Richard Frank
• 1964 Joe Allison
• 1965 Robert J. Burton
• 1966 Pack Ackerman
• 1967 Gene Nash, Leroy Van Dyke
• 1968 Owen Bradley
• 1969 Johnny Cash

1970s

• 1970 Frank Clement
• 1971 Ken Nelson
• 1972 Tex Ritter
• 1973 Frank Jones
• 1974 Jack Stapp
• 1975 Hubert Long (posthumously)
• 1976 Roy Horton
• 1977 Hal Cook
• 1978 Bob Tubert
• 1979 Ben Smathers

1980s

• 1980 Charlie Daniels
• 1981 Roy Acuff
• 1982 Bob Boatman
• 1983 Mary Ann McCready
• 1984 Frank Mull
• 1985 Jim Halsey
• 1986 Merrill Warner
• 1987 Paul Conroy
• 1988 Ron Huntsman
• 1989 Michael Sukin

1990s

• 1990 Allen Brown
• 1991 Bob Saporiti
• 1992 Jim Free
• 1993 Fred Rappoport
• 1994 Helen Farmer
• 1995 Cindy Wilson
• 1996 Marc Oswald
• 1997 Trisha Yearwood
• 1998 Pam Tillis
• 1999 Martina McBride

2000s

• 2000 Wayne Halper
• 2001 Mayor Bill Purcell
• 2002 Brad Paisley
• 2003 Wynonna Judd
• 2004 Terri Clark
• 2005 Blue County (Aaron Benward and Scott Reeves)
• 2006 No Award given
• 2007 No Award given
• 2008 No Award given
• 2009 No Award given

2010s

• 2010 ?
• 2011 ?
• 2012 ?

References