Brooks & Dunn are adding another major honor to a career already packed with them.
The Country Music Association has selected Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn as the 2026 recipients of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The country duo will receive the honor during a special tribute at the 60th Annual CMA Awards on November 18 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The recognition puts Brooks & Dunn alongside an impressive group of country legends who have previously received the award, including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, George Strait and Vince Gill.
For Brooks & Dunn, the honor caps more than three decades of hitmaking and an influence that remains easy to hear across modern country music.
Since joining forces in 1990, Brooks & Dunn have built one of the most successful partnerships in country history. They have scored 20 No. 1 hits, placed more than 60 singles on the charts and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
Their catalog has also produced songs that long ago graduated from hits to country standards. “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” helped turn dance floors into honky-tonks, while “Neon Moon,” “My Maria” and “Believe” became signature recordings that continue finding audiences years after their original releases.
The awards have followed. Brooks & Dunn have collected 20 CMA Awards from 58 nominations, including 16 wins for Vocal Duo of the Year. They also have two Grammy Awards and membership in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Their impact has hardly been confined to records and trophies. Brooks & Dunn have sold more than 17 million concert tickets during their touring career, establishing themselves as a formidable live act while helping define the big-stage country experience.
More recently, they have found creative ways to introduce their catalog to younger audiences. Their 2019 “REBOOT” project featured contemporary artists revisiting Brooks & Dunn favorites, and “REBOOT II” continued the concept in 2024 with another generation of performers.
That staying power makes the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award an especially fitting addition to their résumé. The honor recognizes artists whose careers have achieved exceptional prominence while making a lasting contribution to country music and its audience.
Brooks & Dunn will officially receive the award during the CMA Awards ceremony in Nashville, giving country music another chance to celebrate a duo whose songs have been filling radios, arenas and dance floors for more than three decades.
The 60th Annual CMA Awards will air live November 18 on ABC and Disney+, with streaming available the following day on Hulu.
