Country Music Hall of Fame announces 2025 inductees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new class of inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame has been unveiled by the Country Music Association (CMA).

The three new inductees — Tony Brown, June Carter Cash, and Kenny Chesney — "embody the relentless drive and dedication that defines country music," CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said Tuesday.

“Kenny, June and Tony have each left a lasting imprint on the genre, shaping its history with their contributions," Trahern added. "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."

Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill shared the news during a press conference in Nashville on Tuesday. You can meet the new inductees below.

June Carter Cash

June Carter Cash will be posthumously inducted into the Veterans Era Artist Category, joining many members of her family and friends in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

According to the CMA, she entered the business at a young age and performed with her mother and sisters, Helen and Anita, appearing as regulars on several radio stations before settling at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in 1950.

June reportedly wrote "Ring of Fire" to express her feelings for Johnny Cash, which later transformed into a signature hit that topped the country charts for seven weeks in 1963.

Soon after, the duo began recording duets together before marrying on March 1, 1968, in Franklin, Kentucky. They won their second Grammy for their 1970 single “If I Were a Carpenter.” That same year, their son, John Carter Cash, was born. The next year, June placed the single called “A Good Man” inside the Billboard Country Top 30.     

June is credited for turning the Cash home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, into a creative hub that welcomed musicians and songwriters, including Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Larry Gatlin.

June died on May 15, 2003. She was 73 years old.

Kenny Chesney

Country music star Kenny Chesney will be inducted in the Modern Era Artist Category.

Chesney, an East Tennessee State graduate, reportedly began his career knowing that he wanted to touch people the way George Jones, Conway Twitty, Alabama, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, and Jackson Browne had touched him.  

He got his start playing at The Turf along Lower Broadway in Nashville, according to the CMA. Soon after, he signed a record deal with Southern rock label Capricorn. It wasn't until his manager Dale Morris brought Chesney to RCA’s Joe Galante, also a Country Music Hall of Fame member, that things began to fall into place.

Chesney's 1997 song "She's Got It All" became his first No. 1. By 2000, Chesney had triple platinum Greatest Hits that included “How Forever Feels,” “I Lost It,” “That’s Why I’m Here,” “Don’t Happen Twice” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” In fact, by the time 2004’s "When The Sun Goes Down" also debuted at No. 1 on the Top 200 Albums chart, Chesney had sold out the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium, the first artist to play there since the Jacksons.

The famed singer has won four CMA and four Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year awards and has sold out stadiums in Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Minneapolis, Chicago, and more.

"If there’s anybody in Country music who puts all of his heart and his life into his music, it’s Kenny Chesney. That’s the mindset that got him to the Country Music Hall of Fame," wrote the CMA.

Tony Brown

After producing more than 100 chart-topping Country hits, Tony Brown will be inducted into the Non-Performer Category.

Within the music industry, Brown became both a musician and producer. The Los Angeles Times once credited him as the "the Kingmaker of Country Music."

Brown was reportedly raised in a strict, religious household and was the youngest of four children. As a member of the Brown Family Singers, he sang harmony with his two brothers and sister, later switching to piano.

According to the CMA, after Brown joined the Oak Ridge Boy's backing band—the Mighty Oaks Band— he was named the best gospel instrumentalist by the Gospel Music Association. He soon found himself in Elvis Presley’s orbit as a member of Voice, described as Presley’s “on call” house band when he wanted to sing gospel songs. Brown played piano for Presley’s final concert in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977.  

The CMA states Brown signed Vince Gill and Alabama to RCA, which was once the top label in Nashville. In 1984, he reportedly jumped from RCA to MCA Nashville, helping make it Nashville's top label during country music's boom in the 90s. While there, he signed other future Country Music Hall of Fame members Patty Loveless and Marty Stuart. He produced even more, working with Wynonna Judd on her first three solo albums and developing long-lasting production relationships with Reba McEntire and George Strait.

Brown is a six-time GRAMMY winner, a Gospel Music Hall of Fame member and a North Carolina Music Hall of Fame member. The Americana Music Association gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Over the course of his career, he has amassed more than 100 No. 1 singles and seen record sales exceed 100 million units.

In 2024, John Anderson, James Burton and Toby Keith were inducted into the Hall of Fame.