Darius Rucker Honored With CMA ‘Humanitarian Of The Year Award’

Author Lauren Hoffman

October 24th, 2023 2:24 PM

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 26: Darius Rucker attends the Musicians On Call celebration of Millions Of Moments at Wildhorse Saloon on January 26, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Darius Rucker received quite the surprise during his appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this week. Host Kelly Clarkson presented the country star with the CMA Humanitarian of the Year award.

RELATED: Darius Rucker Receives Star On Music City Walk Of Fame

Clarkson joked with her live audience, saying, “He really doesn’t know about it. This is not TV, this is real.” Rucker received his award on stage due to his many charitable efforts over the years and for helping those who need help.

The Country Music Association website states the following:

The CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award is for an individual who has served as a humanitarian through community leadership, financial support, personal volunteerism and advocacy. The individual recognized has evidenced commitment to worthwhile causes that are important to the Country Music Association and the Country Music community.

The CMA Humanitarian of the Year Award was previously given to Kix Brooks (2014), Steve Turner (2015), 2017 (Vince Gill), Randy Owen (2018), Brad Paisley (2020), Sheila Shipley Bidd, Tatum Hauck Allsep, and Dolly Parton (2021), and Michael T. Strickland (2022).

Rucker has always been one of country music’s biggest givers. This past summer, he held his 14th Annual Darius and Friends concert along with a golf tournament and silent auction in support of St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Since he pledged his support 15 years ago, the singer-songwriter has now helped raise more than $3.6 million for the organization.

In addition to his work with St. Jude, Rucker is also a supporter of over 200 nonprofit organizations residing in South Carolina with his Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation.

Rucker’s television appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show was in support of his new music released at the top of the month. His country album, Carolyn’s Boy, was the first solo album he’s released in six years.

Carolyn’s Boy consists of 14 tracks, including his No. 1 country radio single “Beers and Sunshine.” The album is a homage to his mother, Carolyn.

Five 2023 CMA Male Vocalist Nominees: Who Will Win?

The CMA Awards’ Male Vocalist category has existed since the CMA Awards began in the 1960s. During that decade, winners of the award included Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell. In the 1970s, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers, and Ronnie Milsap won the Male Vocalist Award. Milsap took home the honor three times, and Pride won it twice in that decade. The 1980s saw names like George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis, and George Strait win the honor. Vince Gill dominated the Male Vocalist category at the CMAs in the 1990s, winning the trophy five times.

The 2000s saw Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, and Brad Paisley take home the award. Blake Shelton won Male Vocalist five times in his career from the CMA beginning in 2010.

Flash forward to the late 2010s and the 2020s, and Chris Stapleton dominates the category with six wins, including a win for Male Vocalist last year (2022). Chris said when he won the honor for the sixth time. “Well, okay. Man, thank you so much for this. It means so much to get an award from my friends back here. I was sitting over there, and all the guys in the category all deserve this award. Everybody’s killin’ it. I am so honored to be a member of the country music community.” He then wished his daughter Ada a happy twelfth birthday. There’s a good chance Stapleton could win his seventh award in the category at the award show next month.

The 2023 CMA Awards is only weeks away, and we will know who takes home Male Vocalist in 2023. The nominees are Chris, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen. We take a look at each nominee in this year’s category to shed some light on who may walk away with the Male Vocalist prize this time.

RELATED: Luke Bryan: That Career-Changing Chris Stapleton Song

Luke Combs
Luke has won this award twice in his career from the CMA already in 2019 and 2020. At the top of his game, Combs has already won the Entertainer of the Year from the CMA twice in 2021 and 2022. Luke’s voice and popularity make him a shoo-in to win this honor once again. It would be no big surprise if he walked away with the honor again in 2023.

Below is his first win for Male Vocalist presented by Trisha Yearwood, who noted before she gave out the award that Male Vocalist fifty years ago went to the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash.
Jelly Roll
This is Jelly Roll’s very first nomination in the Male Vocalist category for the CMA. With the on-fire year that Jelly has had in 2023, he very well could win. Jelly has yet to perform at the CMA Awards and will undoubtedly do so this year. In June, he made his debut performance on the CMA Fest stage and said that he was “trembling” when he performed, being nervous about stepping onto the stage that he has watched all of his life as a Nashville native.
Cody Johnson
This is Cody Johnson’s second Male Vocalist nomination at the CMA Awards. A win in this category would be so important to the Texan who is lighting up country music and releasing his much-anticipated “Leather” album a couple of days before the CMA Awards are to be handed out this year on November 8. Cody performed his CMA winner for Single of the Year in 2022, “Til You Can’t,” at last year’s CMA Awards.
Chris Stapleton
Chris has won twenty-five CMA Awards in his career so far, including six Male Vocalist wins in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. Known as one of country music’s best vocalists ever, Stapleton has also won the Album of the Year award three times.

When he won last year, he wished his daughter Ada a Happy Birthday as he promised her he would if he won.
Morgan Wallen
This Male Vocalist nod is Morgan’s second nomination in the category. With his amazing success and selling out multiple nights at stadiums this past summer, a win for Morgan here would be no surprise. Although he has been nominated for eight CMA awards to date, including a nomination for the Entertainer of the Year this year (2023), he has only won a CMA once. He won the New Artist Award in 2020.