Trisha Yearwood Earns June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award, Delivers Performance Debut Of ‘Put It In A Song’

Trisha Yearwood’s return to the CMT Music Awards was a special one, to say the least. On Sunday, April 7, the award-winning singer, artist, performer and entrepreneur appeared at the fan-voted award show to claim her honor as the inaugural recipient of the June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award. Additionally, she took to the stage for the world-premiere performance of her newest track, “Put It In A Song.”

When it came time to celebrate the “She’s In Love With The Boy” singer for her work as a country trailblazer and philanthropist, famed actress Jane Seymour stepped up to the stage and presented her with the June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award.

Yearwood Proudly Accepts The Honor

Donning an all-black, long-sleeve sequin dress with feathers accenting the ends of her sleeves, the beloved superstar made her way to the mic and delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech. As she stood before the crowd of fans and fellow artists, Yearwood proudly explained just how much this particular award means to her.

“I have never gotten an award like this. I will say it’s nice to know you won before you got here, but I don’t think anybody who’s ever received a humanitarian award thinks they deserve it, and that is absolutely tracking right now,” she told the audience, prompting a round of applause and cheers to fill the theater. “I’d like to thank CMT for this honor and for naming it for our friend June Carter Cash, one of the most fierce, one of the coolest, most passionate women that I was very lucky to also know, and I knew her just a little bit, but it didn’t take long to see that she embodied the very essence of what this award’s about.”

Sharing Gratitude For The Entire Carter family

Yearwood went on to thank the entire Carter family for allowing her name to be recognized under the incredibly honored legacy of June Carter Cash, who she deems to be “a force” who was also “married to a force,” a.k.a. Johnny Cash.

“I know it wasn’t always easy, but she found ways to make sure to keep shining her own light and she had no bigger fan than her husband, Johnny Cash…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 for what you believe in. June just did it. She walked the walk. She didn’t just say what she believed, she lived it and she was strong in a very human way.”

She concluded her speech by offering some wisdom to her peers as she further explained that her hope is to continue to learn from June Carter Cash’s actions and the impact she made on the community around her.

“I just want to say that my hope is that we can all learn a little bit from June Carter Cash’s legacy and be a little bit more real, be a little bit more vulnerable, be a little bit less about me, and a little bit more about us. This is not one of those, oh, look what I can do, look what I accomplished. I really look at this as a challenge and a calling just to be better….If you know me, my mantra is love one another. So my challenge to all of us is to not just say it, but let’s actually go out there and do it. Thank you,” she added in conclusion.

Why Was Trisha Yearwood Chosen As This Year’s Recipient?

This award was created as a way to highlight an artist, duo/group or industry veteran who has exhibited an outstanding commitment to their community as well as to their fellow artists. According to a recent release, it was named after and inspired by the late country trailblazer, June Carter Cash, as a result of her work as a “fierce advocate and initiator in paying it forward, helping others find their voice and using their platform to inspire and uplift others.”

Trisha Yearwood was named the first recipient because of her impressive resume of her philanthropic efforts. Over the past two decades, she has dedicated her time to working closely with Habitat for Humanity, which includes the Carter Work Project and National Women Build Week. She was also named a Habitat Humanitarian in 2016 with her husband Garth Brooks.  

The powerhouse vocalist’s extensive list of charitable efforts continues with organizations such as Dottie’s Yard to help animal rescues, Stanford Women’s Cancer Center, American Cancer Society, Humane Society, Grammy Foundation MusiCares, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential, Starkey Hearing Foundation, Susan B. Komen Foundation, among many others. 

Not only is she a leader among these organizations, but also within the country music community, as she has proved time and time again that she is a true role model for her fellow female artists. Yearwood demonstrated her ability to fulfill such an important role when she headed the “Five Decades, One Voice” initiative and collaborated with the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum to help preserve country music’s heritage and ensure the legacy of country legends who came before her are never forgotten.

Returned To The Stage For The Debut Of Her Latest Tune, “Put It In A Song”

Later on in the evening, Trisha Yearwood returned to the stage to deliver her fresh new tune, “Put It In A Song.” This marks the first release from Yearwood’s forthcoming album, which features a collection of songs that she co-wrote. 

For her first CMT Music Awards appearance since 2019, Yearwood certainly left her mark on the stage. She changed into a slightly more casual look featuring a black top and blue jeans as the power of her vocals soared over the acoustic guitar strums, offering viewers both in person and at home a performance to remember. The lyrics danced around the screens of the stage and fans arms swayed to the delicate melody that was paired with a set of honest lyrics honoring an artists ability to use their talent as a tool to pour out their pain and hurt into a song or pick up a guitar and let their emotions run free.

“There’s comfort in a melody / And my heart just keeps on telling me/ I’m not the only one whose ever felt this way/ All the pain and all the hurt/ When it’s too hard just to say the words/ I find my pen and pour it on the page/ Grab a guitar and just play along/ And it don’t matter who was right or wrong/ Just put it in a song,” Yearwood sings on the chorus.

Thankful for @trishayearwood's beautiful #CMTAwards performance of "Put It In A Song" 🎵 pic.twitter.com/WZzmgbr87U

— CMT (@CMT) April 8, 2024

The 2024 CMT Music Awards Were Held In Austin, Texas

Trisha Yearwood joins an incredibly talented group of artists who took the stage during the CMT Music Awards, including Bailey Zimmerman, Parker McCollum, Dasha, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town + Sugarland, Megan Moroney, NEEDTOBREATHE + Jordan Davis, Old Dominion ft. Megan Moroney, Sam Hunt and Trisha Yearwood. 

Plus, during the show, Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, and Sammy Hagar joined forces with Toby Keith’s longtime band to honor the late country music icon with a musical tribute. Lukas Nelson and Roger Clemens were also on hand to honor Toby. 

The all-star presenter lineup features: Amber Riley, Billy Bob Thornton (Landman), Carly Pearce, Cody Alan, Cody Johnson, Emily Osment (Young Sheldon), Emma Roberts, Gayle King (CBS Mornings), James Van Der Beek, Jane Seymour, Jelly Roll, Max Theriot (Fire Country), Megan Moroney, Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Minnie Driver, Montana Jordan (Young Sheldon), Parmalee and Paul Walter Hauser. 

Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, the 2024 CMT Music Awards will air LIVE from Austin, Texas’ Moody Center on Sunday, April 7th (8:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The show will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.*