CMA honors Pride

Pride will accept the honor during The 54th Annual CMA Awards, broadcasting live from Nashville's Music City Center Wednesday, Nov. 11 on ABC.

"Charley Pride is the epitome of a trailblazer," said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "Few other artists have grown country music's rich heritage and led to the advancement of country music around the world like Charley. His distinctive voice has created a timeless legacy that continues to echo through the country community today. We could not be more excited to honor Charley with one of CMA's highest accolades."

Pride, 86, has been one of the few Black country performers. Pride is one of the few Black country artists (along with DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker) to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is for "an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in country," according to the CMA. "The award was established to recognize an artist who has achieved both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales and public representation at the highest level. The artist receiving this Award has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre throughout a course of years that have proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on fans and industry alike." Previous recipients of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award include Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016) and Kris Kristofferson (2019).