Third Annual I’m Just Me: A Charley Pride Celebration of Inclusion [Photos]
Amazon MGM Studios, in partnership with Amazon Music and the Academy of Country Music® (ACM), hosted the third annual I’m Just Me: A Charley Pride Celebration of Inclusion at Luchini Italian Restaurant at MGM Grand Las Vegas. Named after legendary singer, guitarist, and baseball player Charley Pride, who triumphed as the first Black artist to have a No. 1 country record, the event celebrated Pride’s trailblazing legacy while honoring a distinguished lineup of artists, executives, allies, and culture shapers.
This year’s celebration recognized the Compton Cowboys (equestrian collective); MŌRIAH (Latin-Country artist); Joseph Hudak (deputy editor and head of country, Rolling Stone); Beverly Keel (music journalist and dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University); James Marsh (national account director, Warner Music Nashville); and Stephanie Davenport (vice president of A&R, Warner Music Nashville). Since its launch, I’m Just Me: A Charley Pride Celebration of Inclusion has served as a meaningful ACM Awards Week platform celebrating artists, executives, allies, and culture shapers whose work reflects Charley Pride’s legacy and helps create a more inclusive future for Country Music. Previous honorees include:
2025 Honorees: Brittney Spencer, Cameo Carlson, Fletcher Foster, Freddy Fender Estate, Lionel Richie, Marcus Dowling, Mickey Guyton, Michelle Tigard Kammerer, Opal Lee, and Shaboozey.
2024 Honorees: Alice Randall, Alicia Warwick, Armand Hutton, BRELAND, Dion Pride & Mrs. Rozene Pride, Kortney Toney, Naima Cochrane, Reyna Roberts, Rissi Palmer, Shannon Sanders, The War and Treaty, Tiera Kennedy, Wendy Moten, and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers.
Hosted by acclaimed Country Music journalist and 2025 Charley Pride Celebration honoree Marcus K. Dowling, the program also featured a special performance by Latin-Country artist MŌRIAH, who was recognized as part of this year’s honoree class. Guests also enjoyed a curated portrait studio experience photographed by G L Askew II.
Among his many historic achievements, Pride (1934–2020) was the first Black artist to have a No. 1 Country record and the first artist of any race to win back-to-back ACM Male Vocalist of the Year awards. Pride persevered through racial discrimination throughout his career, eventually earning international superstardom for his musical talents and receiving prestigious accolades, including three Grammy Awards, the ACM Pioneer Award, and a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He broke down racial barriers, paving a path for other Black country artists, and his legacy as a team owner lives on through the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation’s Charley Pride Fellowship Program.
The brunch is part of ACM Awards Week, leading up to the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by legendary songwriter and best-selling female country artist Shania Twain and streaming live on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from the world-renowned MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Amazon Music will exclusively broadcast the official ACM Awards Red-Carpet livestream on the Amazon Music app, hosted by Country Heat Weekly podcast co-hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
