The CMA awards named Charlie Pride as the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award winner. This award is given to those artists who have reached the highest levels in not only being a great country artist, but are also humanitarians. He is also one of the few black artists to make such a success for himself during his career.

Pride started off nowhere near country music, but in baseball. He had a career cut short by going into the Army. In 1968, Pride started his career in Country music and put out over 50 top ten songs in 20 years. In those 20 years, he was the first, and still only, black artist to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award. That award was given to him in 1971.

Music Industry Day Featuring Performer Charley Pride
Getty Images for NAMM
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The award was first given to Willie Nelson in 2012, and therefore has his namesake behind it. Other winners of the award include Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Kenny Rogers. The full CMA awards will be broadcast on November 11.

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