George Strait was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 CMA Awards. Lainey Wilson kicked off the tribute with a pitch-perfect version of Strait’s signature “Amarillo by Morning,” followed by Jamey Johnson’s candid yet stirring rendition of “Give It Away.”

Parker McCollum and Miranda Lambert exchanged verses on Strait’s 2008 hit “Troubadour,” a fitting song for the occasion. To top it all off, Strait came out to re-record “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” his duet with Chris Stapleton, from his album Cowboys and dreamers released earlier this year.

A fitting tribute to Strait was a fitting group of artists, all of whom have opened for, sung with or collaborated with the King in recent years. But it’s somewhat surprising that Strait’s honor took so long: With a whopping 83 nominations and 17 awards, he’s the most nominated artist in the history of the CMA Awards. Strait’s last award was Entertainer of the Year 2013.

Recent recipients of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award include celebrities such as Charley Pride and Dolly Parton.

Johnson’s actions, meanwhile, were a sharp response to the media attention he received this week. The 49-year-old singer-songwriter, performing just days after being arrested in Tennessee for marijuana possession, sounded invigorated and triumphant as he worked through Strait’s 2006 Number One, which Johnson co-wrote with Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon.