Merle Haggard photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
• Merle Haggard was nominated for nine Awards – a record at the time – and won four, including Entertainer of the Year.
• Vocal Duo of the Year Award was presented for the first time to Porter Wagoner and Dolly
Parton.
• Comedian of the Year Award was given for the final time. Roy Clark was the last recipient.
• Burl Ives inducted Bill Monroe and The Carter Family into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• Walter Miller began his 34-year association with the CMA Awards as director and producer.
• The original Carter Family (A.P. Carter, Maybelle Carter and Sara Carter) were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1971
• Broadcast on NBC-TV, the Awards merited its own hour and for the first time were not a part of the Kraft Music Hall.
• Charley Pride won both Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year Awards.
• Arthur Edward Satherly was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• CBS-TV began broadcasting the CMA Awards, an association that continues to this day.
• Loretta Lynn became the first female to be named Entertainer of the Year. She also won Female Vocalist of the Year and Vocal Duo with Conway Twitty.
• For the First time, the Statler Brothers won Vocal Group of the Year, an Award they would win six consecutive times.
• Jimmie H. Davis was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1973
• Charlie Rich won Awards for Male Vocalist, Single and Album of the Year for "Behind Closed Doors." The song, written by Kenny O'Dell, won Song of the Year honors.
• Tanya Tucker made her first appearance on a CMA Awards special.
• Roy Clark was named Entertainer of the Year.
• Chet Atkins and Patsy Cline joined the list of luminaries in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1974
• Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn won the third of their four Vocal Duo of the Year Awards.
• Charlie Rich won Entertainer of the Year.
• Owen Bradley and Frank "Pee Wee" King were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Sugar Hill Records
• Entertainer of the Year John Denver accepted his Award via satellite from Australia.
• Dolly Parton wins her first Female Vocalist and Waylon Jennings was named Male Vocalist of the Year.
• Minnie Pearl was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ronnie Milsap photo courtesy of RCA Nashville
• The Year of "The Outlaws" was marked by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings winning three Awards: Single for "Good Hearted Woman;" Vocal Duo; and Album of the Year for Wanted – The Outlaws, with Tompall Glaser and Jessi Colter.
• The CMA Awards broadcast expanded from 60 to 90 minutes.
• Mel Tillis was named Entertainer of the Year.
• Paul Cohen and Kitty Wells were named to the Country Music Hall of Fame.1977
• Ronnie Milsap won three Awards: Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Ronnie Milsap Live.
• Kenny Rogers performed "Lucille," his CMA Award-winning Single of the Year classic.
• Merle Travis was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1978
• The CMA Awards were simulcast on radio for the first time.
• Dolly Parton was named Entertainer of the Year.
• Crystal Gayle and Don Williams took home respective Female and Male Vocalist of the Year honors.
• Grandpa Jones was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Willie Nelson Photo Courtesy of Lost Highway Records
• Kenny Rogers hosted the broadcast and took home the Male Vocalist Award. His album The Gambler was named Album of the Year.
• Charlie Daniels won three Awards: Instrumental Group for the Charlie Daniels Band; Instrumentalist; and Single of the Year for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia."
• Willie Nelson was named Entertainer of the Year.
• Hank Snow and Hubert Long were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.