Trisha Yearwood to Be Honored With Inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award at CMT Music Awards

Jessica Nicholson
·3 min read
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Trisha Yearwood is set to make her first appearance on the CMT Music Awards since 2019, when she will be honored as the first recipient of the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award. This year’s CMT Music Awards will air April 7 on CBS, from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The award is inspired by the late country music pioneer June Carter Cash, and recognizes an artist, duo/group or industry veteran who has demonstrated an exceptional dedication to community and their fellow artists, embodying Carter Cash’s spirit in advocating for others and in helping others find their voice and use their platform to elevate others. Earlier this year, Carter Cash was at the center of the JUNE documentary, which heralded her accomplishments as a musician, singer, songwriter and entertainer, which extended beyond solely her connection to the work, life and legacy of her husband and music icon Johnny Cash.

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“We are thrilled to honor the incomparable Trisha Yearwood with the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award at this year’s show,” shared executive producers for the CMT Music Awards via a statement. “Trisha has a unique ability to rally a community, whether that may be families in need with Habitat for Humanity, or uplifting her fellow artists and entertainers trying to carve a path in the industry. She embodies the bold strength of June, who tirelessly devoted herself to service and community, and the namesake for this award. Both multi-hyphenate trailblazers eloquently crafted a script for others to model, letting their hearts and authenticity guide their personal, professional and public lives.”

Yearwood will also perform during the upcoming 2024 CMT Music Awards, offering the live premiere of the self-penned “Put It in a Song” — the first release from her upcoming album. The project will mark a milestone for Yearwood (whose skills as a vocal interpreter of songs have made her a coveted vocalist for many in Nashville’s songwriting community), as the forthcoming album will be a collection of songs co-written by Yearwood. That mission builds on her previous contributions as a writer to songs including “For the Last Time,” which appeared on her 2018 album Let’s Be Frank, and “What I’m Thankful For (The Thanksgiving Song),” which appeared on the 2016 collaborative album Christmas Together with husband and fellow artist Garth Brooks.

In addition to earning three Grammys and three CMA Awards, and notching five No. 1 Country Airplay hits during her career, Yearwood has long been committed to several charitable causes. For more than two decades, she has worked with Habitat For Humanity, including the Carter Work Project and National Women Build Week. In 2016, Yearwood was named a Habitat Humanitarian alongside Brooks. She also established Dottie’s Yard to aid animal rescues, and has been involved with charitable endeavors including being involved with Stanford Women’s Cancer Center, American Cancer Society, Humane Society, Grammy Foundation/MusiCares, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential, Starkey Hearing Foundation, Susan B. Komen Foundation and more.

Yearwood also works to mentor and champion her fellow female artists, leading the Five Decades, One Voice initiative, as well as working with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to help preserve the legacies of many of her country music forebears.

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