Blake Shelton Earns Artist Humanitarian Award at 2019 Country Radio Seminar
Blake Shelton made an appearance at the Warner Music Nashville luncheon during Day 1 (Feb. 13) of the 2019 Country Radio Seminar, for a very special reason. The country star received the Country Radio Broadcasters Artist Humanitarian Award for his benevolent work over the course of 2018.
After stirring performances from labelmates Morgan Evans, Cole Swindell, Devin Dawson, Chris Janson, Cody Johnson and Ashley McBryde, Dierks Bentley took the stage for the big announcement. Bentley, who received the Artist Humanitarian Award in 2018, introduced Shelton with a video about his contributions: helping a fellow Oklahoman tow his truck out of a flood; organizing and hosting the Healing in Heartland benefit concert, which raised millions for relief efforts for victims of Oklahoma tornadoes; and donating $600,000 to the Jimmy Everest Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., which provides free care to children with cancer.
Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford appeared in a congratulatory clip, before Shelton himself walked out onstage, thanking him for his kindness and jesting around with Bentley. Shelton humbly accepted the honor, crediting country music as a generous genre overall.
"I think the cool thing about country artists is, I feel like we all step up, any time we get a chance," Shelton reflected. "We have the easy part: We get to make music, and somehow, that helps to generate awareness for certain things. It generates money for certain things.
"And I don't think any of us don't step up anytime we get a chance," he added.
Shelton kept his remarks light, with a little of his signature humor sprinkled into the highly honorable moment: "I think at the end of the day, y'all were just trying to think of something to give me. 'Cause I don't win anything anymore, so it's like, 'Give him the Humanitarian Award!" Shelton said with a laugh. "It doesn't mean that I don't very much appreciate it. I'm so happy. I couldn't be more honored."
Shelton held up a list of his songs that have been played on country radio over the years and concluded the lunch with acoustic renditions of his No. 1 debut single, "Austin," and "Ol' Red." The tracks were requested by audience members, as Shelton didn't have a plan for his performance.
"I'm not Dan + Shay," he joked. "This is going to sound like you think it will."
Blake Shelton Through the Years