The 54th Annual CMA Awards will be airing live on ABC on Nov. 11. The Country Music Association announced the recipient of the 2-2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is none-other-than, star country musician, Charley Pride.
Pride is one of the most successful country singers as he is celebrating more than 50 years as a recording artist. The legend has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. In the past, Pride has also been named the CMA Entertainer of the Year (1971) and the back-to-back Male Vocalist of the Year in 1971 and 1972. He has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2000), has three Grammy Awards under his belt, and was the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy.
“Charley Pride is the epitome of a trailblazer,” shared the CMA Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Trahern. “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.”
The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an artist who is considered iconic and who has attained the highest degree of recognition in the genre of country music. In fact, the award was created to recognize artists who is at a level of prominence nationally and internationally.
Pride is joining former recipients, Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), and Kris Kristofferson (2019), with the prestigious honor.
In addition, Pride became country music’s first black superstar who’s known for his distinctive baritone voice. The legendary musician has had 29 No. 1 country hits and over 50 Top 10 tracks.
