Wyoming musician Chancey Williams will be honored next month in Las Vegas for upholding the legacy of the rodeo industry.
Williams will be given the Legacy of the West award during the fourth annual gala of the same name in Las Vegas on Dec. 8. According to the Legacy of the West organization, the award goes to a person who upholds the legacy of the rodeo industry through ethics and leadership.
“Proud to be selected as a Legacy of the West Award recipient,” Williams wrote on social media on Sunday. “I’m looking forward to the ceremony and excited to raise some serious money for an important cause. Thanks for all you do to combat human trafficking.”
To attend the fundraiser, prices range from $50 to $5,000.
Prior to playing music full-time, Williams was a rodeo cowboy. The hosts of the Cowboy Channel, when announcing the awards and highlighting some of the winners, pointed to Williams’ song “The World Needs More Cowboys” as a particularly powerful anthem.
Legacy of the West is an organization that works to fight human trafficking.
Williams is not the only Wyomingite being honored at the gala, which is being held during the National Finals Rodeo in December.
J.R. Vezain, a former rodeo cowboy from Cowley in Big Horn County who was injured in a 2018 riding accident that paralyzed him from the waist down, is being recognized with the All Grit Award, due to his efforts to walk again following his injury. The award celebrates athletes who have gone through trials and tribulations while still pursuing their dreams, according to the Cowboy Channel.
“His resiliency, grit and unwavering faith has touched more than the Golden Buckle he was surely a contender for,” one of the Cowboy Channel hosts said.
The Cowboy Channel and women’s rodeo star Jackie Crawford will also be honored at the ceremony.
