This year “I’m Just Me” will be hosted by Mickey Guyton. Credit to Sunshine Sachs Morgan.
Los Angeles, California (April 24, 2025)- Mickey Guyton will host the second annual I’m Just Me: A Charley Pride Celebration of Inclusion on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Hall Park Hotel in Frisco, Texas. Presented by Amazon MGM Studios in collaboration with Amazon Music and the Academy of Country Music (ACM), the private event honors groundbreaking contributions to diversity and inclusion in country music. It leads into the 60th ACM Awards, which will stream live globally on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on Thursday, May 8, at 8 p.m. EDT. The awards ceremony will be hosted by 16-time ACM Award winner Reba McEntire.
The celebration is named for country music icon Charley Pride, a pioneering artist who broke racial barriers in the genre and became the first Black performer to achieve a No. 1 country record. Throughout his career, Pride received three Grammy Awards, the ACM Pioneer Award in 1994, and the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. His legacy endures through the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation’s Charley Pride Fellowship Program, which fosters opportunities for underrepresented communities in sports and entertainment.
Guyton, a Texas native, has become a leading voice for equity in country music, advocating for racial and gender diversity while achieving a number of historic firsts. She was the first Black female solo artist to perform her own song at the ACM Awards in 2020 and the first to host the ceremony in 2021. Her four Grammy nominations and her performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl LVI have solidified her as a transformative figure in the industry. In 2024, she released her sophomore album House On Fire, featuring standout tracks such as “Scary Love,” “Make It Me,” and “My Side of the Country.”
This year’s celebration will recognize more than ten honorees whose work reflects Pride’s legacy of progress, resilience, and advocacy. Among them are country artists Brittney Spencer and Shaboozey, cultural icon Lionel Richie, the Freddy Fender Estate, activist Opal Lee, entertainment executive Fletcher Foster, journalist Marcus Dowling, Amazon Music’s Michelle Tigard Kammerer, and mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson. These honorees are recognized not only for their achievements but also for their roles in pushing the genre forward and making space for a broader range of voices.
Amazon Music’s General Manager Ryan Redington emphasized the importance of events like this, stating, “We’re honored to support this celebration that uplifts trailblazers pushing the genre forward, while reaffirming our commitment to broadening the narrative and welcoming a wider range of voices into the spotlight.”
As the ACM Awards marks its 60th year, the Academy continues to champion progress through programs like ACM Lifting Lives and ACM LEVel Up, which support emerging leaders and provide aid across the industry. With this year’s events returning to Frisco, the Academy reaffirms its dedication to a more inclusive and representative country music community.
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