Kix Brooks to Receive Inaugural CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award

Kix Brooks will receive the inaugural CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award. The honor is being presented to Brooks in recognition of his numerous charitable endeavors.

The CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award, developed by the CMA Awards and Recognition Committee and approved by the CMA Foundation, honors a country music professional who has served as a humanitarian through community leadership, financial support, personal volunteerism and advocacy.

“It’s embarrassing to be singled out in such a giving community,” Brooks says. “It’s easy to look around and be inspired by people who do more. I’ll keep trying -- this is very special.”

In addition to his tireless work for the CMA, where he has served on the board in various capacities since 1998, the 59-year-old also serves on the boards of the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Monroe Harding Children’s Home, Tennessee Tourism Board, Nashville Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, Blue Ribbon Committee, Operation Finally Home and Veterans Matter.

“Kix is a true ambassador, champion and humanitarian for CMA and this industry as a whole,” Rob Beckham, chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee, explains. “His philanthropic efforts continue to make the world a better place.”

Brooks, who spent 20 years as one-half of the award-winning duo Brooks & Dunn before launching his own solo career in 2012, remains a strong advocate of country music in spite of the controversy that seems to surround the genre.

“I am in total defense of the amount of young people that are going to concerts," Brooks says. "We’ve got Luke [Bryan] and Jason [Aldean] and Zac [Brown Band] selling stadiums! Hell, Ronnie [Dunn] and I never did that. Now we have four or five artists legitimately that can sell stadiums damn near anywhere. That is hard to argue with. You go to those shows, and you see all these young people having a ball, singing every word. You go, ‘Who would want to throw rocks at this? I mean, this is fun.’”

Brooks will receive his award at a special ceremony in January.