1965 President Tex Ritter to C.L. (Leo) Fender
1969 President Bill Williams to Jack Stapp and Irving Waugh
1970 President Harold Hitt to Frank Jones
1972 President Bill Farr to A. Torio and Bob Neal
1973 President Frances Preston to Irving Waugh
1975 President Jerry Bradley to Terry Davis
1976 President Ron Bledsoe to Gene Nash
1977 President Dan McKinnon to Johnny Cash
1981 President Tandy Rice to David Lieberman, Jerry Bradley, and Norm Anderson
1984 President Dick McCullough to the Oak Ridge Boys
1985 President Dick McCullough to Willie Nelson
1986 President Rick Blackburn to subcommittee chairmen: Phil Graham, Ted Hacker, Mary Ann McCready, and Jack Weston
1987 President Al Greenfield to Dick McCullough
1991 President Thom Schuyler to Kitty Moon
1992 President Roy Wunsch to Don Schlitz
1993 President Paul Corbin to Jim Foglesong
1995 President Tony Conway to Bob Saporiti and Wayne Halper
1996 President Kitty Moon to Rick Blackburn and Jeff Walker
1997 President Tim DuBois to Bud Wendell
1998 President Tim DuBois to David Ross
1999 Not Presented
2000 President Bud Wendell to Jerry Bradley
2001 President Luke Lewis to Tony Conway
2002 Not Presented
2003 President Charlie Anderson to Kix Brooks
2004 President Kix Brooks to Robert Deaton
2005 President Victor Sansone to Kitty Moon Emery
2006 President Mike Dungan to Charlie Anderson
2007 Clarence Spalding to Walter Miller
2008 Randy Goodman to Joe Goodman
2009 Steve Moore to Clarence Spalding

This award was established by the Board of Directors in 1963. The award is given in recognition of that person (or persons) who is not currently serving as an Officer or Director, and who, in the Board's opinion, has rendered the most outstanding service to the Country Music Association in the current year. The award does not have to be presented annually.

Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, this award recognizes outstanding achievement by a US based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of Country Music outside the United States. The award is intended to be presented prior to the beginning of the CMA Awards so that it can be given in front of the industry audience and taped for the International edit. If this is not possible it will be presented at an appropriate place and time. The award does not have to be presented annually.

Recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the United States who have made important contributions for the development of Country Music in their country. Usually up to three recipients may be named in any year, but no more than two from one country in one year. The award does not have to be presented annually.

Category eliminated in 2008, candidates became eligible for the Jo Walker-Meador International Award.

The following election procedures will apply:

1. CMA international department staff will make recommendations for Nominations. Nominations must include a brief synopsis of the nominee's achievements and accomplishments.
   
2. The recommendations then go to a panel of fifteen industry executives all of whom have extensive international experience and knowledge.
   
3. The Executive Council then approves decision and then the CMA Board of Directors.

The Irving Waugh Award of Excellence is awarded to that individual who is the originator and caretaker of demonstrated ideas and actions that have dramatically broadened and improved Country Music's influence on a national or international level for the benefit of the industry as a whole. It is the intention that these ideas and actions typically will have run a course of years and shall have a proven historical impact on Country Music. The award shall not be presented more often than annually.

Candidates shall be considered when a letter of recommendation, signed by three or more CMA Officers or members of the Board, is submitted to the CMA President or Chairman prior to June 15 of the award year. The President and Chairman shall at that time appoint a select Committee consisting of the President and Chairman plus six current Directors and four current Officers to study the candidates. It shall require a majority of the Committee to certify the eligibility of the candidates, and a nomination shall require the vote of 80 percent of the Committee.

The nominee's name is then to be submitted to the CMA Officers and Directors by certified mail ballot sent to the home addresses no later than August 1, to be returned to the accounting firm supervising the elections. The winner of the award must receive an 80 percent affirmative vote of the total eligible voters and if so, is to be included during the broadcast of the CMA Awards.

If an Officer or Director of the Board is a nominee, he or she shall receive a dummy ballot to protect confidentiality.

Recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual or company in advocating and supporting Country Music's marketing development in territories outside the United States. Media Executives would be eligible if their involvement reached outside of their primary role, otherwise their eligibility for the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award would exclude them. The award will be presented at CMA's annual membership meeting, or at another appropriate place and time. The award does not have to be presented annually.

Criteria:
This award is presented in recognition of outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of Country Music's values and tradition. The award may be presented to a person (living or deceased) in recognition of an initative or long-term contribution deemed to qualify by the CMA Board of Directors.

Nominations:
As this award is to be presented when an appropriate recipient is identified, the process for election will be initiated by a letter of nomination to CMA from any CMA member in good standing. That letter will be presented to the Executive Council.

Review of Nomination:
The Executive Council will review any nominations submitted and make a recommendation to the Board from those nominations.

Election of Recipient:
The recommendation(s) of the Executive Council will be made to the Board to be voted on by both Officers and Directors. A simple majority of those in attendance at a duly called meeting will determine the winner.

Presentation of the Award:
This is not intended to be an annual award, but rather one that may be presented at any time deemed to be appropriate.

Initiated by CMA in 1991, the Triple Play Awards recognize CMA composer members who have attained three number-one songs within a 12-month period, based on the Country singles charts from BILLBOARD, COUNTRY AIRCHECK and MUSIC ROW.

Recognizes outstanding achievements in the media, which contribute to the development of Country Music outside the United States. Radio, TV, print journalists, authors, editors, television writers, producers and PR companies who reside outside the United States are eligible to win this award. The award will be presented at CMA's annual membership meeting, or at another appropriate place and time. The award does not have to be presented annually.