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By Alli Patton
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Sunday night (April 7) saw longtime country favorite Trisha Yearwood celebrated for her work beyond music. At the 2024 CMT Music Awards, the 'She's In Love With The Boy' hitmaker was recognized for her impact on the world around her, and honored with the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award.
The all-new honor recognizes an industry veteran, who throughout their career has emulated the award's namesake and used their influence to inspire and uplift others. On the red carpet, Yearwood said it was "an honor just to be in the same sentence with [Carter Cash]," a legend she knew personally and admired deeply.
She echoed that same sentiment in her acceptance speech, donning black sequins, feathers, and most of all, humility. "I don't know if anybody who's ever received a humanitarian award thinks they deserve it and that is absolutely tracking right now," she told the crowd before thanking CMT for naming the award after the late artist.
"June Carter Cash was a force and she was also married to a force. I know a little bit about a life like that," Yearwood continued, giving a nod to her own marriage to fellow country star Garth Brooks. "I only hope with this to be as big a part of my community and as good of a friend to fellow artists as she was. It can be really hard to stand up for what is right and what you believe in. June just did it; she walked the walk... My hope is that we can all learn a little bit from June Carter Cash's legacy."
A devoted philanthropist herself, Yearwood has worked extensively with Habitat for Humanity over the past two decades, an organization devoted to building and improving communities around the world. She has also been a steadfast mentor to and staunch advocate for women in the music industry.
The recognition was accompanied by a performance from Yearwood herself later in the night. She debuted the tune, 'Put It In A Song', a first taste of her forthcoming album and one she described as an emotional endeavor while on the red carpet.
"This is a real new venture for me", she said of the song ahead of the night's events. "It's a real vulnerable place to be and it's just really a song about that and about how if you can't say it out loud, if you feel like it's too much, then just write it down".
That vulnerability became apparent in the first few moments of her striking showcase. Featuring just her under the spotlight and a delicate script projected all around, the performance was stark but effective, her vocals shining in the acoustic offering.
During the star-studded evening, the 2024 CMT Awards enjoyed captivating performances from Kelsea Ballerini, who did double duty as the night's sole host, as well as Parker McCollum & Brittney Spencer, Bailey Zimmerman and more.
For more of Holler's 2024 CMT Award coverage, see below: