Martina McBride Honored by Nashville Association of Talent Directors

Martina McBride was honored on Tuesday (Nov. 12) by the Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) for her legendary career in country music.

The songstress, who has sold in excess of 18 million albums and scored six No. 1 hits, was acknowledged at a special ceremony held at the Hermitage Hotel in Music City. The event, which was co-hosted by GAC and SiriusXM host Storme Warren and WKRN personality Stephanie Langston, also included a surprise appearance by Jason Aldean, who presented President of Buddy Lee Attractions Kevin Neal with an award as well.

The evening wasn't just about handing out trophies. Also on hand was Maria Morari, a blind orphan from Moldova, who was brought to the United States to have a life-altering procedure by renowned Dr. Ming Wang, who successfully restored some vision to her right eye. NATD presented Morari with a check for $20,000 to help with her expenses, as she tries to stay in the country until she turns 18.

"As we celebrated the NATD honorees and our scholarship recipient, the unexpected thing happened and moved people -- putting smiles on faces and bringing tears to our eyes,"  NATD President Stephen Tolman says. "Presenting the gift to Maria was definitely the highlight of a very moving and heartfelt evening, and sharing the opportunity to honor our colleagues in the industry and Nashville at large at the same time was rewarding for everyone."

Other honorees included ROAR co-founder Bernie Cahill, co-head of CAA’s football division Tom Condon, MWS Group Partner Chaz Corzine,  and Academy of Country Music Chairman Bob Romeo.

McBride will kick off her Joy of Christmas tour on Nov. 29 in Huntington, W.V. See all of her upcoming shows here.