Country Music star Luke Bryan is not just a heartthrob with remarkable vocal cords, but he also has a heart of gold that doesn’t go unnoticed. Therefore, the superstar has been named the “Country Radio Broadcasters 2021 Artists Humanitarian Award” recipient. While being interviewed during the CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience, Bryan was surprised with the title.
The CRS Artists Humanitarian Award was created back in 1990 and honors country music artists who have exhibited exceptional humanitarian efforts throughout their careers. Previous recipients have been– Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, and much more.
“Luke is a big star with a bigger heart,” says CRS/CRB Board President Kurt Johnson. “From his earliest days to as recently as Super Bowl LV, he’s leveraged his influence for good and helped songwriters, farmers, children, small businesses—people in so many different walks of life that Luke Bryan’s philanthropic work has touched. We’re so proud to honor him with this much-deserved award.”
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It’s no surprise that Bryan received recognition for his kind contributions and philanthropic efforts since Bryan has worked with numerous organizations over the years. The long list includes ACM Lifting Lives, CMA Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, St. Jude, TJ Martell, and Shriners Hospital. However, his love for giving back to the community was brought to the next level, when he started working with The Brett Boyer Foundation.
The Brett Boyer Foundation is a non-profit that hits home for Luke’s family and was established in honor of his niece, Sadie Brett Boyer. Their goal is to raise money and awareness for Congenital Heart Disease and fund research for advanced treatment options. In addition, Luke and his wife Caroline started “Brett’s Barn” at their farm right outside of Nashville. This initiative is now the home of several animals and is a part of Caroline’s promise to buy Brett a pony someday.
The Georgia-bred singer and songwriter also saw the need to give back and support farmers across the United States, leading him to create “Luke’s Annual Farm Tours” in 2009. When the country star hits the road and performs a concert, a portion of the proceeds are donated as college scholarships for students of farming families where the tour is played. In 2015, the singer also partnered with Farm Tour sponsor Bayer who launched the #heretothefarmer campaign. The incredible movement donated four million meals across the United States in order to fight hunger and thousands of dollars to area food banks/ local farms.
Credit: Schmidt Relations
Now, Bryan is still seen giving back and helping the people around him. When COVID-19 hit, the country artist contributed his philanthropic efforts to help the ones struggling from the pandemic. In May of 2020, the artist teamed up with BMI and Radio Broadcasting Groups to help raise money for songwriters who have been affected by the coronavirus. Most recently, Luke brought his talents to the Super Bowl LV and participated in Verizon’s “Big Concert For Small Business”
“There’s always more work to be done,” says Bryan while accepting the award. “ I think you wake up at night and you hug on these healthy boys and beautiful families. You’re so thankful and gosh over the years when you talk about the Make-A-Wish kids and the St. Jude moments… but when you see these kids how do you say no? You just don’t say no,” he adds.
Congratulate Luke Bryan below or let us know how you give back to the community by tweeting us at @CS_Country.
