Kane Brown was overcome with emotion while accepting the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) during the annual CRS Honors ceremony on Thursday, February 29. This honor acknowledges Brown’s dedication to humanitarian initiatives, particularly in his commitment to supporting the underprivileged youth via the Boys & Girls Club National Organization (BGCA).
Country music legend and 2023 recipient of the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award, Tracy Lawrence, virtually introduced Brown via a video, where he congratulated the “I Can Feel It” singer on the well-deserved honor.
“I’d like to congratulate my friend Kane Brown for all of his hard work, giving back to his community, feeding underprivileged kids, doing a lot of work with the Boys and Girls Club through 2024 Humanitarian CRS Award Winner is Kane Brown. Congratulations,” Lawrence said. With a smile on his face, he then announced Kane Brown as the 2024 Humanitarian CRS Award honoree.
National Vice President Of The Boys & Girls Club, Frank Sanchez, Presented Kane With The Honor
Frank Sanchez, National Vice President of Sports, Entertainment and Alumni Development at the Boys & Girls Club, presented Kane Brown with the prestigious honor at the ceremony. Prior to welcoming Kane Brown to the stage, Sanchez commended the country superstar for his philanthropic efforts and endless contributions to the non-profit organization.
Reflecting on the term “humanitarianism,” Sanchez emphasized that Kane Brown’s actions went beyond mere generosity. He described Brown as a selfless humanitarian who, for the past five years, consistently gave to the greater good of children associated with the Boys and Girls Club.
“When we think of the word humanitarianism, the definition of that as somebody who gives to the greater good of those in need. And when I met Kane Brown some five years ago when he came into the headquarters of Boys and Girls Club, I met a gentleman who said, ‘I want to give back to the greater good of kids.’ But over this past five years, I think when it comes to Kane, there’s a word missing in that definition, and the word is selfless,” Sanchez told the audience. “Kane is a humanitarian that gives selflessly to the kids of Boys and Girls clubs and has done that for five years.”
Brown Is A Longtime And Generous Supporter Of The Boys & Girls Club
While many are willing to contribute from the heart, Kane Brown stood out by giving selflessly from the heart, the head, and the hand, demonstrating a rare level of dedication.
“When adults and donors ask, how can we help? I often say you could help from either your heart, your head, or your hand…most people say, I’m willing to do one. I’m willing to give from the heart. But when I met Kane Brown, he said, ‘why do I only have to do one? Why can’t I give from the heart, the head, and the hand?’ And over the past five years, I have nobody who has demonstrated that more than Kane Brown,” Sanchez added.
Sanchez continued to detail that Kane Brown not only continues to devote his time, but also generously contributes financially to the Boys and Girls Club chapters. His dedication goes beyond monetary donations, as Brown also spends time with the youth and personally funds once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for them, including VIP access to his concerts in addition to gifting them tickets to see his electrifying live show.
Kane Brown previously donated a portion of his ticket sales ($1 from each ticket sold) towards the renovation of a BGCA gym in Cleveland, Ohio. In collaboration with Lowe’s, he also helped reconstruct the Boys and Girls Club in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Furthermore, all proceeds from his single “Worldwide Beautiful” and his “Kane Krunch” cereal were also generously given to the BGCA. In acknowledgment of his substantial philanthropic contributions, Kane Brown received the “Champion of Youth” award from the BGCA in October 2022, a distinction shared with esteemed past recipients like LeBron James, Denzel Washington, and Jennifer Lopez.
His unwavering support of the Boys And Girls Club will likely continue on his upcoming In The Air Tour.
Kane Brown Tearfully Accepts CRS Artist Humanitarian Award
Brown then made his way to the stage to emotionally and graciously accept the “huge honor.”
“I don’t ever expect to get an award for helping people, especially kids, but the Boys and Girls Club just has been so amazing to me because yes, I can help them, but they helped me,” he admitted, attempting to hold back tears. “I see myself in them, and I didn’t really have anybody to help me coming up. So it’s cool that I get to give back. I’m not going to talk too much. I don’t feel like tearing up, so I’m not going to do it. I’m just going to say thank you.”
The soon-to-be father of three went on to share some of his life story, including his rough upbringing and how it encouraged him to want to give back, which brought him to tears.
“So for me, growing up, my dad’s been in prison since ‘96. My mom was a single mom working, raising two kids, trying to work multiple jobs. Never knew anything about money growing up, but now that I’m older and realize what she was making back in the day, I don’t even know how we really survived. So sports was a huge thing for me after school to stay out of trouble. My little brother went down a different path. So once I found out about the Boys and Girls Club, I just wished that I would’ve been part of the community,” he explained.
As tears streamed down his cheek, he continued, “I remember working two jobs and trying to get a car and I didn’t have any family member that could just give me a dollar… I was working Target, I was working at FedEx, I was working at Lowe’s while I was still in high school, just so I could get around. Nobody [was there] telling me [to] stay in school.”
Brown hopes that his charitable efforts will leave behind a legacy that will inspire others to give back. “Hopefully everybody help out as much as possible… Everybody’s human, Everybody bleeds the same. And if you honestly me helping people, if it’s somebody outside of a gas station… I think his name’s Sean. Everybody. If you live in Nashville, you see him. The guy that gives out newspapers on Music Row, that’s my guy, man. Just the Boys and Girls Club, anybody. Just helping ’em out always makes my day better. So I would just say, just trying to get back and hopefully people remember me for that.”
What Is The CRS Artist Humanitarian Award?
Established in 1990 by the organization’s board, the CRB Artist Humanitarian Award is bestowed upon a Country Artist whose philanthropic endeavors significantly enhance the effectiveness and impact of the causes they champion. This individual not only lends their name and influence but also dedicates their time, talent, and resources.
Past Recipients
Previous recipients of the Artist Humanitarian Award include Tracy Lawrence, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Randy Owen, Toby Keith, and Brad Paisley, among others.
