In Nashville this morning, the Country Music Association gathered at Hall of Fame Rotunda to announce the 2025 inductees into Country Music Hall of Fame. After much speculation of who would receive the prestigious honor, Vince Gill took to the podium to announce the three brand-new members of the elite group.
Long-time producer and 6x Grammy winner, Tony Brown, was the first to be announced as 2025’s non-performer inductee. Brown, who has collaborated on over 100 #1 singles throughout his career and pushed Gill to record his legendary single, “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” graciously accepted his nomination.
As the long-overdue veteran artist inductee, June Carter Cash posthumously received the honor after decades of legendary work alongside Johnny Cash and as a recording artist herself. The 5x Grammy winner left a legacy far beyond the recording studio, most notably being a philanthropist alongside Johnny and donating to charities worldwide.
Finally and most notably, Kenny Chesney was inducted as 2025’s modern era artist. It should go without saying that Chesney is one of the most successful artists in the genre to this day. With a staggering 33 #1 hits, over two dozen platinum singles and one of the most storied live shows in any genre, the “Summertime” singer was more deserving than any to receive the high honor.
Accepting his nomination, Chesney recalled a story of seeing Alabama which sparked his desire to pursue music as a career, “I went with my mom and stepfather to a field about 10 miles from my house to see this group, Alabama, that was going to play… And I went to that show and something happened to me that night. There was a fire lit. Something happened in my soul that set me on this path. If you would have told that kid that night on a hot summer night in East Tennessee that this was going to happen, I would have told you you were crazy.”
Closing the speech, the 56-year-old singer/songwriter noted how important it was that he was being inducted along with two fellow East Tennesseans and reflected on the honor, “I had a really big dream, and I’m still pushing that dream as far as I can. I just wanted to record and write songs that reflected the lives of a lot of people that came to our shows. And I just wanted to spread as much positive energy and love as I possibly could. Standing up here, I know it’s not a dream. It’s real, and it feels so real. And I just want to say thank you.”
Brown, Carter Cash and Chesney will be formally inducted into the Country Hall of Fame at an unannounced date in October.