The 2017 Walk of Western Stars nominees have been announced, and this year two brothers from Newhall with long ties to the local film community and a longtime character actor from some of America’s classic films are to be honored.

Predating the city formation by more than five years, the Walk of Western Stars has long served as a way to honor the people behind the sights and sounds that have worked to define the American West.

The two newest additions to the Walk of Western Stars are scheduled to be unveiled April 23, 2017, at 5 p.m. on Main Street in Newhall, between Market Street and 8th Street.

The ceremony itself is free and open to the public, and honorees Bo Hopkins (“The Wild Bunch,” “American Graffiti”) and the Veluzat brothers Andre and Renaud (Owners of Melody Ranch, Andre & Renaud Motion Picture Ranch) will be there in person to receive the honor.

Throughout the decades, the Santa Clarita Valley has been graced with many of the great American Western film figures. Gene Autry, who rose to fame as a singing cowboy in the 1930s would go on to purchase what was known at the time as Monogram Studios in 1952, according to Autry’s official website.

Autry would rename the site Melody Ranch, and continue its legacy as one of the defining sights in American Westerns until a massive firestorm in 1962 destroyed many of the studio’s structures.

The studios would be used primarily as a home for one of Autry’s prized horses up until 1990, when the horse passed, according to Autry’s official website.

Autry then sold off the space to longtime Santa Clarita Valley residents Renaud and Andre Veluzat, who would continue the more than 100-year-long history of film in the SCV.

Today, the Veluzat brothers own and operate Melody Ranch located off Oakcreek Avenue in Newhall.

In April, the Veluzat brothers will join the likes of Autry, William S. Hart and John Wayne being immortalized on Main Street in Newhall with their own terrazzo and brass tiles.

“They keep movie production alive — Santa Clarita has become sort of a center of movie production, sort of Hollywood North, and the Veluzats played a huge role in that,” said Mike Fleming, Santa Clarita arts and events supervisor.

Today under the guidance of the Veluzat brothers, Andre and Renaud, Melody Ranch continues to shine as one of the most recognizable sights of the west on camera with popular modern western films and television series such as “Deadwood,” “Westworld,” and “Django Unchained” using Melody Ranch’s iconic sets.

“Part of the legacy of Newhall is to do these westerns, so when (the studio) burned down in 1962, we rebuilt it in 1991 to do westerns again,” said Renaud Veluzat. “Because it was kind of fading away and right after we rebuilt the town, we started doing shows and it started coming back.”

Melody Ranch has truly cemented itself in the history of Westerns over the past century — it was the site of over 20 John Wayne films, and the location for nearly all of Gene Autry’s shows.

“People call us from all over the world and we have tours and visits from everybody,” said Renaud Veluzat. “Everybody is interested in the history of the Old West from ‘Gunsmoke’ to ‘Annie Oakley, all of those films and TV shows from the 40s and 50s.”

Today, the ranch has a variety of sets to help bring the Old West back to life, most famously the Main Street set, which was featured prominently on HBO series “Westworld” and “Deadwood” as well as films like “Django: Unchained” and “The Last Stand.”

“I think it’s great — we really appreciate it. I mean, it’s an honor to have us considered with those names (on the Walk of Western Stars),” Veluzat said. “We have been in this town since we were little kids and we have kind of seen this town grow.”

Along with the Veluzat brothers, Bo Hopkins will also be honored with a place on the Walk of Western Stars.

Hopkins, a western star of the 70’s, broke through with his debut role in 1969’s “The Wild Bunch” before going on to be in classics such as “American Graffiti” and “Midnight Express.”

“(Hopkins) is just a great character actor that has had a long prolonged career, that in it of itself is impressive,” said Fleming. “His career goes back to 1967. He was in ‘The Wild Bunch,’ and of course ‘American Graffiti.’ He has been around for a long long time.”

A complete interactive list of those honored on the Walk of Western Stars is available here.

The unveiling will be followed by a Walk of Western Stars Reception at the Canyon Theatre Guild, located at 24242 Main Street.

Hors d’oeuvres will be served followed by a show, which will include a montage of clips of the honorees, a short question and answer session with each inductee and a live musical performance.

Seating is on a first come, first serve basis, and doors open at 5 pm. Parking is available at the Cowboy Festival Shuttle site and a courtesy shuttle will drop off and pick up from the park.

Tickets are still available for the reception event, and can be purchased on the Cowboy Festival website.