CMA Entertainer of the Year Winners: 1967-2015

By Southern Living
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A look back at the artists who took home the evening's most prestigious award.

This November, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the 50th Annual CMA Awards, and crown the 50th winner of the Entertainer of the Year award. Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney are tied for the most Entertainer of the Year awards with four each, followed by Alabama and George Strait who each have three wins. The 2016 Entertainer of the Year nominees are Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Chris Stapleton. The CMA Awards are so important to the industry, in fact, that Paisley likens them to the Oscars. "If you're an actor, you want to win an Oscar, and if you're a country music artist, you want to win a CMA Award. You can see the emotion in their acceptance speeches, and the audience recognizes it too. This means something, and it has for 50 years."

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1967: Eddy Arnold

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1968: Glen Campbell

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1969: Johnny Cash

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1970: Merle Haggard

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1971: Charley Pride

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1972: Loretta Lynn

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1973: Roy Clark

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1974: Charlie Rich

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1975: John Denver

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1976: Mel Tillis

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1977: Ronnie Milsap

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1978: Dolly Parton

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1979: Willie Nelson

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1980, 1981: Barbara Mandrell

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1982, 1983, 1984: Alabama

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1985: Ricky Scaggs

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1986: Reba McEntire

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1987, 1988: Hank Williams, Jr.

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1989, 1990: George Strait

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1991, 1992: Garth Brooks

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1993, 1994: Vince Gill

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1995: Alan Jackson

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1996: Brooks & Dunn

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1997, 1998: Garth Brooks

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1999: Shania Twain

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2000: Dixie Chicks

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2001: Tim McGraw

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2002, 2003: Alan Jackson

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2004: Kenny Chesney

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2005: Keith Urban

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2006, 2007, 2008: Kenny Chesney

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2009: Taylor Swift

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2010: Brad Paisley

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2011: Taylor Swift

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2012: Blake Shelton

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2013: George Strait

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2014, 2015: Luke Bryan

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