CMA Awards 2022: Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood honor Loretta Lynn

A multigenerational superstar trio of iconic female country music performers kicked off the 56th annual CMA Awards with a tribute honoring the legacy of late musical legend Loretta Lynn.

With 30 Country Music Association Awards and 143 CMA Award Nominations between them over four decades, the trio honoring Lynn -- Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood -- represented Lynn's groundbreaking legacy in the modern era and beyond.

The opening medley included Underwood singing "You Ain't Woman Enough," Lambert leading "Don't Come Home A Drinkin'" and McEntire's rendition of "You're Looking At Country." The trio closed with "Coal Miner's Daughter."

CMA Awards executive producer Robert Deaton adds that "over the last 20, 30 years, Carrie, Miranda and Reba are three of the most important artists in our genre. But it's not just that -- all three were close to Loretta. I wanted the artists for this tribute to think, 'There's no way I wouldn't do this.' And that's exactly what happened. They knew Loretta, adored her, and revered her, and all of those things. I knew that each of them would feel honored to be a part of this tribute."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Lynn's victory for Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards in 1972. She was the first woman ever to achieve the honor.

"I'd like to say that I've won many awards, and this is one that I have been nominated for, but I never did get. And this, I think, is the only one that I haven't gotten," Lynn said during her acceptance speech. Continuing, she humorously added, "I'm real happy, but the only thing that I'm kind of sad about is my husband going hunting. He couldn't make it back in to share my happiness with me. Thank you."

Lynn bested Merle Haggard, Freddie Hart, Charley Pride and Jerry Reed for the honor. Six years later, another woman, Dolly Parton, won the honor in 1978.

CMA CEO Sarah Trahern added, "Loretta was such a beloved figure in our genre that I'm sure every single artist would sign up to pay tribute to her. She was ahead of her time, and you see her spirit in so many artists today -- especially Miranda, Reba and Carrie. Each has such an authentic love for the history of this format, and each jumped at the opportunity to honor a woman they so deeply loved and admired. You'll see on Wednesday night -- the opening is such a fitting tribute to Loretta's legacy, and we are honored to have the chance to bring these three women together to deliver it."

The 56th Annual CMA Awards broadcasts live on Wednesday, November 9 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET) on ABC and will be available the next day on Hulu. For more information on the event, visit http://www.cmaworld.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood to honor Loretta Lynn at 2022 CMAs