Country Music Hall of Fame Welcomes Tony Brown, June Carter Cash, and Kenny Chesney In 2025 Class

Today, the Country Music Association announced the 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees during a special ceremony at the prestigious Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. This year’s honorees include legendary producer Tony Brown, country music icon June Carter Cash, and superstar Kenny Chesney.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill hosted the event, revealing that Tony Brown will be inducted in the Non-Performer category (an honor awarded every third year in rotation with the Songwriter and Recording and/or Touring Musician categories), June Carter Cash will be recognized in the Veterans Era Artist category, while Kenny Chesney will be inducted in the Modern Era Artist category.

“This year’s inductees embody the relentless drive and dedication that defines Country Music,” Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, shared. “Kenny, June and Tony have each left a lasting imprint on the genre, shaping its history with their contributions. From a young age, each of them was immersed in music, and their lifelong commitment has led to this very moment. Their achievements speak to the passion and dedication that have defined their extraordinary careers, and the impact of their work will continue to inspire future generations. There’s something incredibly special about being able to surprise each inductee or their family with this recognition – it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, knowing how deeply their careers have touched the lives of so many, including myself. It is with great pride that we honor these three remarkable individuals and celebrate the lasting legacy they have created within our format.” 

“All three of the new inductees have left indelible impacts on the genre and firmly established themselves as unforgettable contributors to Country Music,” Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Chief Executive Officer. added. “North Carolina native Tony Brown is a trailblazing record producer and executive who has helped shape the sound of modern Country since the 1980s, supervising many best-selling records while also ushering in outsider talents to the genre. Virginia-born June Carter Cash was a vibrant torchbearer of her family’s enduring Country Music legacy who forged her own distinctive path during her more than 60-year career as a beloved singer, comedienne and songwriter. And Kenny Chesney, from Tennessee, has maintained one of the biggest hitmaking careers in Country Music since 2000, with more than 50 Top 10 hits, 16 Platinum albums, and is a regular top touring act who continues to delight audiences. Fittingly, they will now forever be enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame with their illustrious peers who shaped our art form.”  

Non-Performer Category: Tony Brown 

Greensboro, North Carolina native Tony Brown made a name for himself as a producer, record label executive, and musician, working with artists like Reba McEntire, George Strait, Vince Gill, and many more throughout his career.  

He’s produced over 100 chart-topping country hits throughout his career and has been a part of record sales exceeding 100 million units. Brown is a six-time GRAMMY winner and a member of both the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was honored with Leadership Music’s inaugural Dale Franklin Leadership Award, recognizing his outstanding leadership in the music industry. He received the Academy of Country Music’s Icon Award in 2024 and the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. 

Strait, who has collaborated with Brown as his producer on 20 albums, previously stated, “Tony Brown is going to leave a big footprint in the music world when he decides to step away.” 

Upon the announcement of his name at the ceremony, Brown took the podum to express his disbelief and gratitude. 

“I’m totally blown away. I always wanted to be in the Country Music Hall Of Fame and I never, ever imagined that I would be the day I stand here, just totally blown away,” he shared. 

Brown went on to thank those who helped him get where he is today. 

“Thank you to the CMA to the Hall of Fame. Thank you, Vince Gill. Thank you to all the people that helped me get here. There’s so many people that helped me in my career. The musicians who played on my records, the engineers, the songwriters, the song pluggers,” he continued.

“This is better than money. You make records and you can make some money, but this is better than money. This is about making an impact and when it comes right down to it, that’s the reason we all get into this business, is to make an impact that this means more than anything ever can mean to me.” 

Veterans Era Artist Category: June Carter Cash 

June Carter Cash, a native of Maces Springs, VA, originally rose to fame as part of hte musical group, the Carter Family. She performed with her mother, aunt and uncle and by age 10 she was already a seasoned musician and singer. The family band appeared on several radio shows and ultimately settled at the Grand Ole Opry in 1950. 

Carter wed Opry star Carl Smith in in 1952. Following their four-year marriage, which gave her a daughter, Carlene, Carter relocated to New York where she dove head-first into the creative scene. She would often travel back and forth to Nashville to perform at the Opry. 

She later returned to Nashville, married Edwin “Rip” Nix in 1957, and welcomed another daughter, Rosie. This married ended in 1966. 

During this time, June Carter began to tour in support of Johnny Cash as part of the Carter Sisters. She met Cash backstage at the Ryman some years before and eventually the pair fell in love. Their chemistry was said to be undeniable and she eventually wrote the song “Ring Of Fire” about her feelings for the country star. Cash recorded the song and it went on to be a massive hit, topping the charts for seven weeks in 1963. 

Later, they recorded several duets, including “Jackson,” which won a GRAMMY.

The couple said “I do” on March 1, 1968. 

While they were married, the spotlight mainly fell on Johnny Cash, however, behind the scenes, June Carter Cash was still very much involved in music. Her song, “A Good Man” charted inside the Top 30 in 1971. 

She also transformed the Cash home in Hendersonville, TN, into a creative hub, where she collaborated with rising artists and established stars to support their careers. During this time, she worked with Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Larry Gatlin, among others, and mentored countless aspiring musicians. 

Her creative wheel never stopped turning. She also appeared in films, starring alongside RObert Duvall in The Apostle in 1997. 

Music continued to flow. At age 70, she released Press On, her first album in 25 years, which went on to win the Best Traditional Folk Album GRAMMY in 2000. Her follow-up album, Wildwood Flower, earned her two more GRAMMYs in 2004, awarded posthumously.

June Carter Cash died on May 15, 2003, at age 73.    

Modern Era Artist Category: Kenny Chesney 

Growing up in East Tennessee, Kenny Chesney had dreams of making it big in Nashville like his heroes Alabama, George Jones and Conway Twitty. 

Upon graduating East Tennessee State University, Chesney, who played in the school’s bluegrass band, packed his bags and headed west on I-40, making his way to Nashville. He landed a publishing deal a year later and signed with the Southern rock label Capricorn shortly after. 

His debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, was released in 1994. This project got off to a slow start, however, his song “The Tin Man” began to turn heads and showed a promising future for the rising singer/songwriter. 

Chesney landed at BNA Records after his manager introduced him to RCA’s Joe Galante (also a Country Music Hall of Fame member) and his first BNA single, “Fall In Love,” made its way all the way into the Top 10. In 1997, he earned his first No.1 with “She’s Got It All.” 

The hits kept coming and by 2000, Chesney was a bonafide star with songs like “Don’t Happen Twice,” “How Forever Feels,” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” 

While touring with George Strait in 1999 and 2000, Chesney saw immense growth and truly began to dial in on the type of artist and performer he wanted to be, blending his love for rock, bluegrass, and country to create his signature sound. 

Radio hits and massive albums continued and his live show became one of the hottest tickets of any genre. He sold out the UNiversity of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and went on to sell out NFL stadiums in major cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Tampa, Chicago, and many more. He is now one of country music’s best and most awarded entertainers. For the past 16 years, he has been the only country artist consistently ranked among Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years.

He’s recorded duets with some of the biggest names in music, including P!nk, Grace Potter, Dave Matthews, and Kelsea Ballerini (just to name a few) and continues to push the creative envelope to this day. 

This summer, he’ll become the first country artist to headline The Sphere in Las Vegas and later this year, he will release, HEART, LIFE, MUSIC, his first book. 

Chesney was on hand for today’s announcement and delivered a heartfelt speech.

“To be standing here…I’m from East Tennessee and it is so amazing to know that you’re going into the Hall of Fame with three fellow East Tennesseans people that grew up where I grew up, my grandparents lived on the same street that Chet Atkins grew up in. I rode my bicycle past that property all the time,” he shared. “To know that I’m going in with Dolly Parton is a huge deal for me. And to also know that I don’t have a brother in life, but if I did, it would be Dean Dillon. Dean Dillon and I have written a lot of songs I’ve looked up to Dean my whole creative life. He was someone that really taught me a lot about creating with a lot of authenticity. And Dean and I spent countless days on a boat in the Virgin Islands creating songs, and it’s one of my favorite days of creating music in my life.”

He continued, “So it is a big thrill and a big honor for me to stand up here knowing that I’m going into the Hall of Fame with three people from East Tennessee. That means the world to me. Like I said, I had a really big dream and I’m still pushing that dream as far as I can.”