Artists who share their own roots, similar and deep career connections with Country Music Hall of Famer and genre king George Strait honored the recipient of the Country Music Association’s 2024 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award with a moving performance Wednesday night.

Those names included Grand Ole Opry member and the co-writer of his 20-year-old favorite, “Give It Away,” Jamey Johnson, Texans Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum who collaborated on another 20-year-old favorite, “Troubadour ‘ and colleague Lainey Wilson, winner of CMA Entertainer of the Year.

Regarding his collaboration with Lambert, McCollum noted that the performance continues a series of “dream scenarios come true” of alliances with the singer “Kerosene”, with whom he collaborates on the duet “Santa Fe” from her album “Postcards From Texas” from 2024.”

“She, like me, is a Texan,” he said. “But she is also a true superstar in her own right who I have been a fan of for as long as I can remember. It is always a special honor to work with and learn from her.”

“Troubadour,” the triple-platinum-selling title track from Strait’s 25th studio album, has been a favorite of McCollum’s sets since his teenage roots onstage.

“George Strait’s music was playing when I was in the womb because my mother was such a fan of his. It’s the first music I remember hearing and falling in love with as a child,” McCollum added to.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Awards: Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, more honor George Strait