Morgan Wallen, HARDY & Ernest to Honor Seth England at T.J. Martell Gala

Big Loud artists Morgan Wallen, HARDY, and Ernest are set to honor Big Loud’s partner and CEO Seth England at the 49th annual New York Honors Gala by the T.J. Martell Foundation. England will receive the lifetime music industry award during the event, which focuses on the foundation’s mission to cure cancer through high-risk, high-reward research.

The gala, considered the T.J. Martell Foundation’s main fundraiser of the year, will be held at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Wallen, HARDY, and Ernest will lead a writers’ round performance. Additionally, there will be a fundraising auction, and Archie Davis, Def Jam’s chief creative officer/executive VP, will announce a new initiative focused on raising awareness for early screening and testing for cancer.

Steve Gawley, Republic Corp.’s executive VP of business and legal affairs and chairman-elect of the Board of Trustees for the T.J. Martell Foundation, said, “We are thrilled to be honoring our distinguished music industry colleague and dear friend Seth England with this year’s Lifetime Music Industry Award to commemorate his deep commitment to the foundation. We are proud to shine a spotlight on Seth’s dedicated efforts towards our cancer research as well as his pioneering work in the music world.”

England has been named the 2024 Billboard Country Power Players executive of the year and is the first recipient of Billboard’s Country Power Players Choice Award, a peer-voted honor recognizing outstanding impact on the country music genre.

Big Loud Records boasts a strong roster that includes Wallen, HARDY, Ernest, Charles Wesley Godwin, Lauren Alaina, Larry Fleet, Lily Rose, Ashley Cooke, Lauren Watkins, Kashus Culpepper, and more. Big Loud Publishing represents talents like Cooke, Craig Wiseman, Jacob Durrett, Rocky Block, and Rhys Rutherford, while Big Loud Management handles artists such as Ernest, HARDY, and Jake Worthington.

John Esposito, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the T.J. Martell Foundation, stated, “As a longstanding proud member of the music industry, I am grateful to see the unwavering dedication and generosity that our music peers put forth to help propel this vital cancer research. As we look ahead towards what will be the foundation’s 50th anniversary, this year’s gala is a great reminder of how far we have come and how much further we still need to go in the fight against cancer.”

Lynn-Anne Huck, CEO of the T.J. Martell Foundation, also shared her gratitude: “We are incredibly thankful to the music community for uniting to support the foundation’s critical work in funding cancer research. Witnessing our donors rally around the fight against cancer and uphold the promise made between a father and his son is both beautiful and inspiring.”

The 49th Annual New York Honors Gala co-chair committee features prominent music industry figures including Ben Adelson, Tyler Arnold, Tom Corson, Archie Davis, John Esposito, Clint Higham, Monte Lipman, Avery Lipman, Rakiyah Marshall, Debbie Martell, Joey Moi, Brian O’Connell, Andre Stapleton, Julie Swidler, Greg Thompson, and Craig Wiseman.

Source: Billboard, T.J. Martell Foundation