Tony Brown, June Carter Cash, Kenny Chesney to be inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame

LOS ANGELES -- On Tuesday, the Country Music Association (CMA) announced the Country Music Hall of Fame class of 2025 inductees.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill hosted the press conference, which can be watched in full on their YouTube.

This year, inductees include Tony Brown, June Carter Cash and Kenny Chesney.

Brown will be inducted in the Non-Performer category, which is awarded every third year in rotation with the Songwriter and Recording and/or Touring Musician categories. Cash will be inducted into the Veterans Era Artist category and Chesney into the Modern Era Artist category.

"This year's inductees embody the relentless drive and dedication that defines Country Music," said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "Kenny, June and Tony have each left a lasting imprint on the genre, shaping its history with their contributions."

Brown, a musician, producer and record label executive, released the following statement:

"When you're producing No.1 records, you feel like you know what you're doing, but being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame - especially for someone as idealistic as me - makes it feel like you've truly made an impact. And that has always been my goal."

Cash, whose induction comes posthumously, was described as "Country Music's matriarch."

The Cash family said, "June Carter Cash represents the whole cloth of Country Music, it's breadth and heritage. And June's place in Country Music is undeniable. From the 1940s, across the decades and into the current century, her voice has been heard across the country and throughout much of the world, both with Mother Maybelle Carter, sisters Helen and Anita, and on her own, as well as with her duet partners, including her beloved Johnny Cash, with whom she told stories and inspired musicians both past, present, and future. She was a loving wife and mother, an actress, singer, songwriter, comedienne and a truly gifted performer whose persona was never exactly what was expected but was always and totally June. She profoundly respected, and was respected for, her craft, and that endures to this day. We, the Carter and Cash families, are most grateful and proud that the County Music Association has given June this well-deserved honor for her undeniable contribution to the fabric of Country Music and American culture."

Chesney, who has lit up the country music charts since 2000, said, "You don't dare dream of being in the Country Music Hall of Fame, alongside legends including George Jones, Willie Nelson, Alabama, even Dean Dillon. I've been lucky enough to get to call them my friends, and that was plenty. But hearing the news I'd been voted into the Hall, I can honestly say beyond my wildest dreams, it's an honor that defies words. I am humbled, grateful, honored... as much for all the songwriters, musicians, artists and people who've helped me build my career; they have truly inspired me every single day."

Since 1961, CMA has been honoring artists and industry professionals by recognizing their contributions to the genre and inducting them to the Country Music Hall of Fame.