Tragically Hip to Receive Humanitarian Award

By FYI Staff

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has announced that The Tragically Hip will be honoured with the Humanitarian Award, presented by Music Canada.

The conferment (formerly known as the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award) recognizes outstanding Canadian artists or industry leaders whose philanthropic contributions have “positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond.”

The group has helped to raise and donate millions of dollars for various social and environmental causes including Camp Trillium, The Canadian Cancer Society, the Sunnybrook Foundation, and the Special Olympics over the course of a three-plus decade career that came to an end with the death of frontman Gord Downie after his battle with brain cancer ended in 2017.

Most recently, the band donated $50,000 to music industry charity, Unison Benevolent Fund, through the sale of their “Courage Masks.” The Unison Assistance program has been providing emergency financial relief for musicians and crew members during the ongoing pandemic. The reusable non-medical cloth masks are still available for purchase here.

The Tragically Hip, winner of 15 Junos and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees, will be present to accept the prestigious award during the 50th annual edition of the Juno Awards that is to be nationally broadcast on CBC TV, Gem, Radio One, CBC Music and streamed globally Sunday, May 16 on CBCmusic.ca/junos.

Past recipients include Arcade Fire, Rush, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Neil Young, David Foster, Gary Slaight, Tom Cochrane, Simple Plan, Bruce Cockburn, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Paul Brandt, and couple (Our Lady Peace frontman) Raine Maida and (singer-pianist). Chantal Kreviazuk.