One of Canada's best-known songwriters will be honoured for his philanthropy when the Juno Awards come to London.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced that musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer David Foster will be given its 2019 Humanitarian Award. Foster will be honoured for his "lifelong dedication to philanthropy through his support of hundreds of charities." Among those charities is The David Foster Foundation, which raises organ donation awareness and provides financial support to Canadians in need of life-saving transplants.
“It is with great honour that I accept the 2019 Humanitarian Award,” Foster said in a statement released by CARAS on Thursday. “I created the David Foster Foundation in 1986 after meeting a young girl from my hometown who was awaiting a liver transplant. The experience had a profound impact on me, and that’s how the Foundation was born. I am fortunate to be able to support many charities and organizations in need, either with my time or through donations, and it has become one of my life’s passions. The gift of music has brought me many rewards, and what better way to pay tribute to those gifts than to pay it forward. Giving back is not just a responsibility, it’s a necessity.”
Since its inception 33 years ago, The David Foster Foundation has helped over 1,100 families with children in need and provided millions of dollars in financial support.
In his nearly five-decade career, Foster has won six Juno awards, 16 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and has been nominated for three Oscars. He is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and in 2010, was honoured by both the Canadian and the American Songwriters Halls of Fame.
Foster will be given his Humanitarian Award at the Juno Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony at the London Convention Centre on Saturday, March 16.