Charley Pride’s spirit is still very much alive. The late country music icon continues to lead the way in terms of representation in a space that often omits people who look like him.
Pride was the first Black artist to have a No. 1 country record and the first of any race to win back-to-back ACM Male Vocalist of the Year awards.
At the start of his mainstream country music career, Pride’s race was intentionally hidden, but the talent was always undeniable.
“I think what’s similar between Charley Pride and myself is we’re both Black persons with talents in our own industries, and we’re paving the way for other people, breaking down barriers and allowing other people into the space to show we have talent too, we deserve to be here too, and you don’t see many females or females of color in the live announcement space,” Emmy-nominated voice actor and actress Queen Noveen, who served as the voice of the Academy of Country Music Awards for the third year in a row, told Blavity.
“I feel like I’m kind of a unicorn in my industry, and I really want to continue opening those doors for other females and encourage, support and introduce them to the world of live announcing. It’s really exciting because I used to teach voice-over for two years, and hearing my students come back, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve created my demo. I’ve signed with an agent. I’m going to auditions,’ like it’s working, and it makes me so happy at times.”
As part of the Academy of Country Music Awards slate, the Amazon Music and ACM’s Charley Pride I’m Just Me Celebration of Inclusion Brunch, first launched in 2024 to highlight artists who continue to carry the torch of what Pride started many moons ago.
Celebrating the legacy of Charley Pride
“We’re gathered here in the spirit of legacy, purpose and possibility as we honor the life and light of Charley Pride, a man whose voice didn’t just carry melodies, it moved mountains,” said Shannon Sanders, Grammy-winning producer and 2024 Charley Pride Celebration nominee.
“A man whose courage didn’t just open doors, it built new rooms for all of us to walk into. Today, we celebrate Charley. We celebrate each of you, the artists, executives, allies, the culture shapers,” he continued. “I had the honor of speaking with Mrs. Rosalind Pride earlier this week, and she regrets that she couldn’t be here with us today, but she was delighted to know that we are continuing to carry the torch forward. So today we also celebrate her for keeping Charley’s legacy alive with grace, dignity and devotion.”
The 2026 Charley Pride Celebration honorees
This year’s celebration honored music journalist and dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University Beverly Keel; national account director for Warner Music Nashville James Marsh; Vice President of A&R at Warner Music Nashville Stephanie Davenport; Rolling Stone deputy editor and head of country Joseph Hudak; and Latin-country artist MŌRIAH.
Additionally, a new category was added during the third year of the annual event, honoring the Compton Cowboys for their trailblazing work as culture shapers.
“He’s an inspiration, and he’s shown artists like myself, artists like many of my friends who are working hard in Nashville, that no is just a redirection,” MŌRIAH told Blavity when asked what it means to be honored in Charley Pride’s name and legacy at the brunch.
“When you can appreciate where you come from, that means that you’re grounded, and so in the times when you feel cut down, you just remember that your roots run deep. So there’s no one better to kind of carry the mantle of this whole concept, I think, of inclusion and celebration within country music than this, and it’s so satisfying.”
She explained her hope that the music she makes will someday be included in the time capsule of this moment.
“I think there are a lot of firsts right now,” she said. “There are a lot of firsts happening. The first brown person to do this, the first Black person to do that, you know, and just because we are the first to the table does not mean we’re the last. I think right now it’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of a moment in history where I’m standing alongside a lot of pioneers, a lot of men and women who are the first to the table. We’re all looking around at each other and just knowing we’re in this together, we’re not alone, no one is alone, everyone is lovable, and to create is an act of defiance, an act of worship, an act of fruition, and we get to all do that together. I think creativity is our shared nature.”