Paula Abdul to Receive Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award From Music Biz

Photo credit: Randall Slavin

The Music Business Association will present the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award to Paula Abdul on May 18 during the Music Biz convention’s awards luncheon at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel.

Abdul is a spokesperson and advocate for many charitable organizations, including We.org, where she serves as an ambassador helping uplift and empower youth in cities all over the globe. She also partnered this year with Turnaround Arts, a program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, to adopt a school in Brooklyn and help foster arts education in schools around the nation. And her work with Avon in 2014 as the Avon Global Ambassador for their international #CheckYourself digital campaign in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month yielded a campaign which garnered half a billion media impressions around the world.

“Paula’s efforts on behalf of youth empowerment, women’s health issues, and arts education are a prime example of what artists can do to give back to their community and the world,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “She has truly embraced the public platform that her massive success has provided to improve the lives of those around her. We are so pleased to recognize her with this Award and hope her example — as well as the continuing legacy of Harry Chapin — will remind everyone how important it is to donate time, energy, and influence to charitable causes.”

“I’ve been blessed to be able to do what I love for a living, but it’s helping others that really brings me the most joy,” said Abdul. “The work itself is the true reward, but I hope this recognition will bring further awareness to the causes I fight for and inspire others to do the same. My thanks to the Music Business Association. What an honor!”

Abdul joins a list of previous Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award winners that includes the T.J. Martell Foundation, Martina McBride, Dee Snider, Annie Lennox, Melissa Etheridge, Norman Lear, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Jackson and Harry Chapin himself.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

Latest posts by Lorie Hollabaugh (see all)

• Vince Gill Plots New EP & Summer Tour Dates - February 10, 2026
• Craig Morgan To Headline Ryman In November - February 10, 2026
• Natalie Blakley Joins Publicist Team At PERK PR & Creative Agency - February 10, 2026