LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico singer-songwriter Randy Huston and farrier Jim Keith received the 2025 Rounders Award Oct. 15 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.
Randy Huston, a rancher, rodeo competitor and acclaimed singer-songwriter, has performed nationwide. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Lee Ann Womack, Darryl Singletary and Chris LeDoux. Huston has earned numerous awards from the Academy of Western Artists, International Western Music Association, Western Writers of America, and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Beyond music, he has been a longtime advocate for American agriculture and continues to raise cattle on his family ranch near Cuervo, New Mexico.
Jim Keith, often described as a "Renaissance man," grew up in Springer, New Mexico, and has lived a life deeply tied to ranching, rodeo and horseshoeing. A four-time World Champion Blacksmith and acclaimed farrier, Keith also taught horseshoeing, judged major competitions around the world, and managed the American Farrier Team. In retirement, he turned his focus to cowboy art and writing, publishing I Never Called Myself a Cowboy and working on his second book, Looking Back: 66 Years of Shoeing.
New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte presented the awards to Huston and Keith.
"I am proud of the legacy Max has left in Western culture, and this year's Rounders Award recipients definitely live and articulate the Western way of life. Max would be proud," said Witte. "Jim Keith and Randy Huston have built remarkable careers that honor our ranching traditions and Western heritage."
The award was named after "The Rounders," a classic Western novel that was written by Max Evans. Created in 1990 by former New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Frank DuBois, the award honors those who live, promote and articulate the Western way of life. Max Evans was the first-ever award recipient.
Evans passed in 2020; however, the Rounders tradition lives on. This year's recipients, described as vivid creators of Western art who embody the tradition of the award, join 38 previous honorees.
For a list of past Rounders Award recipients, visit the NMDA website.
