T.J. Martell’s Record Night; Morgan Wallen, HARDY, ERNEST Perform As Gala Raises $2.6M For Cancer Research

T.J. Martell Foundation, the music industry’s leading nonprofit funding innovative cancer research, honored Big Loud Partner / CEO Seth England with its Lifetime Music Industry Award at its 49th Annual New York Honors Gala Sept. 17 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

This year’s event also broke the foundation’s record as the most successful gala in more than 20 years, raising $2.6 million.

The event was hosted by Steve Gawley, T.J. Martell Foundation chairman-elect of the board of trustees, and the Gala co-chair committee Ben Adelson, Tyler Arnold, Scott Borchetta, Tom Corson, Archie Davis, John Esposito, Clint Higham, Lynn-Anne Huck, Monte Lipman, Avery Lipman, Rakiyah Marshall, Debbie Martell, Joey Moi, Brian O’Connell, Andre Stapleton, Julie Swidler, Greg Thompson, Candice Watkins and Craig Wiseman.

The evening’s program featured a special writers’ round performance by three Big Loud artists shaping the country genre today: All-genre juggernaut and 11-time Billboard Music Award-winning superstar Morgan Wallen, ACM award-winning, country / rock trailblazer HARDY, and critically acclaimed Nashville hitmaker and country singer-songwriter ERNEST.

HARDY opened with a performance of his No. 1 Country hit, “Truck Bed.” The night featured a collaboration between Morgan Wallen and ERNEST on “Flower Shops,” while Wallen wowed the audience with his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “Last Night.”

Additionally, Wallen performed his all new unreleased song “Love Somebody,” which he previewed on the just finished leg of his European headlining tour but has never performed in the U.S.

“When I asked Seth England to be this year’s Honoree, he didn’t hesitate, he didn’t need to check his schedule, he just said yes, because that’s the kind of person Seth is,” Gawley stated of honoree Seth England. “He truly cares, understood the gravity of our cause and he jumped in with both feet. Seth’s only question was ‘How do we make the most impact?’ Because Seth always thinks big.

“The next day, Seth and his wife, Rakiyah Marshall, kicked off the campaign with a quarter million dollar personal donation. The Big Loud Team and the Martell Team planned a kickoff breakfast at Nissan Stadium in Nashville last May which raised over $1.1 million and highlighted the true spirit and generosity of the Nashville music community.”

Gawley added that England’s partner at Big Loud, Craig Wiseman, donated $300,000 to break the fundraising record.

“None of us would be here without the incredible work of the historic T.J. Martell Foundation,” England said in his acceptance speech. “… The work that the T.J. Martell Foundation has done has touched countless lives, and being a part of that legacy is beyond humbling. I’m honored to be able to contribute to this mission in tonight’s small way.

“I like to always remind the three of them (Morgan Wallen, HARDY, and ERNEST) and anyone else who will listen that this business is what you do, it’s not who you are,” he continued. “Tonight, I couldn’t be more proud of those three in particular who showed up for me, showed up for this foundation and for cancer research because that’s who they are as people.”

The evening also included a fundraising auction and Archie Davis, Def Jam’s Chief Creative Officer / EVP who received the New York Honors Gala Rising Music Superstar Award in 2023, announced an important new initiative that will continue to raise awareness of early screening and testing.