The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is pleased to announce that Rex Linn—who has appeared in more than 50 feature films and 45 television shows—will once again emcee the Western Heritage Awards ceremony on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
Beyond his on-screen achievements, Texas-born, Oklahoma-raised actor Linn is a passionate advocate for preserving and celebrating Western culture. He has proven to be a delightful addition to the premier event honoring individuals who have made remarkable contributions to Western heritage through their creative endeavors in literature, music, television and film.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome Rex back to The Cowboy,” said National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum President and CEO Pat Fitzgerald. “He has a very special connection to Oklahoma, the Museum, and, most importantly, the West, which makes him the perfect choice again for this year’s awards.”
The star-studded awards ceremony and dinner also serves as the induction ceremony for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Westerners and Hall of Great Western Performers, as well as the presentation of esteemed honors such as the Lifetime Achievement Award and Chester A. Reynolds Award, named after the museum’s founder.
Presenters scheduled to appear at the ceremony include Bailey Chase, Mo Brings Plenty, Bruce Boxleitner and more.
This year’s Western Heritage Awards are presented by the National Western Stock Show’s Honoring the Legacy Campaign.
In addition to the Saturday night awards ceremony, the Museum will host several events over the weekend tied to the Western Heritage Awards.
Full List of Events
Western Heritage Awards Ceremony, presented by the National Western Stock Show’s Honoring the Legacy Campaign
- Saturday, April 12, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Tickets are sold out.
- To join the waitlist if tickets become available: WHA Ceremony Ticket Waitlist
Kickoff Party, presented by Pendleton Whisky
- Friday, April 11, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- Includes complimentary cocktails and live entertainment
- $70 Museum Member, $85 General Admission
- Tickets can be purchased here: WHA Kickoff Party Tickets
Additional Programs
Western Heritage Awards Workshop, “Rescuing Classic Westerns and How to Become a Filmmaker” with 2025 Honoree Bob Terry and Johnie Terry
- Friday, April 11, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Free with Museum Admission
Inductee Panel Discussion with Brooks & Dunn and Graham Greene
- Saturday, April 12, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Free with Museum Admission
Shopping Opportunities
Lucchese Bootmaker Custom Boot Fittings
- Thursday, April 10, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friday, April 11, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Persimmon Hill, the Museum’s store for Western goods, will host designer trunk shows
- Friday, April 11, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Cara Brown Designs (jewelry)
- The Bohlin Company (custom buckles)
- Hallett Peak (jewelry and leather goods)
- Mahota Textiles (blankets, pillows, accessories)
- Phoebe Duncan (jewelry)
For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/western-heritage-awards.
Rex Linn’s acting career has been nothing short of prolific. Over the last 25 years, Rex has appeared in over 50 feature films and 45 television shows.
Adding to his extensive career, Linn can currently be seen in recurring roles on the critically acclaimed series Better Call Saul, CBS’s hit sitcom Young Sheldon, and Nicole Kidman’s Apple TV+ series Roar. Linn’s additional key television credits include recurring roles on HBO’s The Brink, Netflix’s Golden Globe winner The Kominsky Method, FOX’s hit series Lethal Weapon and a ten-year series regular role on CSI: Miami. Linn also co-starred opposite Reba McEntire in the true-life inspired Lifetime original feature film, The Hammer, as well as the ABC series Big Sky.
Linn is currently co-starring in the number one sitcom on television, NBC’s hit series Happy’s Place. Linn plays Emmett, the gruff but popular short order cook.
Linn’s past film credits include many prestigious projects, such as Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Ed Harris’s Appaloosa. He is also known for the classic blockbusters Cliffhanger, Clear and Present Danger, Tin Cup and Rush Hour, to name a few. Linn’s comedy chops have also allowed him to work with some of the greats, including Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in Neil Simon’s Odd Couple II, Steve Martin in Cheaper by the Dozen and John Lithgow in 3rd Rock From the Sun.
Linn was born and raised in Texas and Oklahoma and is based in Los Angeles. He is represented by Fourward.
About Bob and Johnie Terry
Bob and Johnie Terry are dedicated to preserving the American West. Since 2009, they have worked in the film industry, producing original Western-based productions while also preserving and hosting classic Western films.
In 2017, they began producing The Forsaken Westerns, a TV series dedicated to rescuing and broadcasting rare, unsold Western TV show pilots, Western anthology series, Western-focused episodes of TV series and Western movies. Many of these were transferred from 8mm and 16mm film and were thought to have been lost forever.
Since 2020, they have worked on Red Steagall’s Somewhere West of Wall Street TV show, with Bob serving as director, cinematographer and editor, while Johnie has been assistant director, cinematographer and closed-caption creator.
Bob Terry’s documentary, Playing Cowboy, is being honored at this year’s Western Heritage Awards.
Western Heritage Awards Honorees
Western Lifestyle Program: The Roundup: A Cowboy State Daily Podcast With ‘Longmire’ Author Craig Johnson, hosted by Wendy Corr and produced by Jimmy Orr.
Theatrical Motion Picture: Tokyo Cowboy, starring Arata Iura, directed by Marc Marriott, written by Dave Boyle.
Documentary: Playing Cowboy, directed by Bob Terry, produced by Westerns on The Web Productions.
Fictional Drama: Desire Is All You Need (from Yellowstone), directed by Christina Alexandra Voros, produced by Taylor Sheridan.
Nonfiction Book: The Colfax County War: Violence and Corruption in Territorial New Mexico, by Corey Recko, published by University of North Texas Press.
Art Book: Making the Unknown Known: Women in Early Texas Art, by Victoria H. & Light Townsend Cummins, published by Texas A&M University Press.
Juvenile Book: Glory Be! It’s Punkin’s Story! by Carolyn Wills (self-published).
Magazine Article: After Birth, by Kathryn Wilder, published by The Missouri Review.
Western Novel: Malas, by Marcela Fuentes, published by Viking.
Poetry Book: Earl’s Own Dakota Odyssey, by Bruce Roseland, published by Scurfpea Publishing.
Original Western Composition: I Am a Cowboy, recording artist Caleb Martin, composed by Montie Carol Montgomery.
Traditional Western Album: On the Trail With the Lonesome Pines, recording artist Hilary Gardner.
Western Heritage Awards Inductees and Lifetime Achievement Honorees
Hall of Great Westerners
Louise S. O’Connor
Dr. Baxter Black (1945–2022)
Hall of Great Western Performers
Graham Greene
Anthony Quinn (1915–2001)
Chester A. Reynolds Award
Warner Glenn
Lifetime Achievement Award
Brooks & Dunn
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is America’s premier institution of Western history, art, and culture. Founded in 1955, the museum collects, preserves, and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.
