T.J. Martell Hosts 2026 Nashville’s Best Cellars Dinner

/by

Photo: Ed Rode for The T.J. Martell Foundation

The T.J. Martell hosted the 2026 Nashville’s Best Cellars Dinner on Tuesday (April 14).

The exclusive event, with Grand Cru Presenting Sponsor Secure Air, brought together influential and philanthropic leaders from Nashville’s music and wine industries for a celebratory charity auction and dinner dedicated to the fight against cancer. With $690,000 in total revenue, the evening set a new record for the event in Nashville.

The evening also recognized Martina and John McBride with the prestigious Billy Ray Hearn Award of Excellence. Established to carry forward the legacy of Billy Ray Hearn, the award honors industry leaders who exemplify outstanding professional achievement, extraordinary philanthropic contributions, and an unwavering commitment to Music’s Cure for Cancer.

Additionally, the event featured a spirited fundraising auction hosted by acclaimed radio personality and auctioneer Shawn Parr.

Photo: Ed Rode for The T.J. Martell Foundation

Attendees included Randy Travis, Mary Travis, Michael Bublé, Dave Cobb, Frank Ski, Lauren Alaina, Jordan Davis, Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, and Kimberly Perry and Johnny Costello of The Band Perry. This year’s dinner, which was presented by Troy and Nicole Vollhoffer and Premier Global Production, was crafted by Executive Chef Freddy Money of Atlas in Atlanta.

Nashville’s Best Cellars Dinner was presided over by Steve Gawley, Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs and Business Development at REPUBLIC Collective and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the T.J. Martell Foundation, and co-hosted by Mike Harris, President and CEO Music Corporation of America (MCA) and John Esposito, Co-Founder of HEY NOW Records and 15-year veteran Chairman/CEO of Warner Music Nashville. A Dinner Committee featuring many of Nashville’s top executives included Stacy Blythe, Charlie Brusco, Dave Cobb, Derek C. Crownover, Seth England, Clint Higham, Jon Loba, Jordan Pettit, Patrick Sabatini, and John & Natalia Sanzo. Event co-chairs in attendance also included entrepreneur, philanthropist, wine collector and chairman of the Nashville Wine Auction Tom Black, and philanthropist, wine connoisseur and active supporter of various charitable organizations Eliza Kraft Olander.

“Last year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the T.J. Martell Foundation. Over that half century, we — together — have raised more than $280 million to fund bold, high-risk/ high reward cancer research that has led to real breakthroughs and lifesaving treatments. This reflects not only strong stewardship, but also the trust that all of you place in this organization,” says Gawley, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the T.J. Martell Foundation. “It also reminds us that there is still so much more to do. The work you support doesn’t happen someday — it is happening everyday in the finest cancer research institutions in the nation because of what we choose to do in rooms like this. And here in Nashville, that impact is real, not abstract — it’s right here in your own community. The marquee on the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center contains the words ‘Supported by the T.J. Martell Foundation.’ That’s not just recognition. It’s a reflection of decades of commitment from this community. And your commitment is driving real science.”

Photo: Ed Rode for The T.J. Martell Foundation

“Now, as many of you know, I had the privilege of serving as the chair of the Nashville Board of Governors for years, and the T.J. Martell Foundation is deeply personal to me. But the story of this Foundation in Nashville did not start with me. It started with giants,” shares Esposito, Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the T.J. Martell Foundation. “It started with people like the legendary Frances Preston. Frances was a force of nature. She brought the T.J. Martell Foundation to Nashville because she saw the power of this community. She knew that the music industry did not just write songs; we take care of our own, and we fight for the people who need it most. Frances laid the groundwork that allowed us to build the Frances Williams Preston Labs at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, right here in our backyard.”

“Every year, I am reminded of just how extraordinary this community is, and this year’s Nashville Best Cellars Dinner was no exception,” says Lynn-Anne Huck, CEO of the T.J. Martell Foundation. “The artists, executives, and philanthropic leaders who came together that evening didn’t just attend an event; they reaffirmed a shared belief that we can and will make a difference. Their generosity moves me deeply, and I am endlessly grateful.”

Photo: Ed Rode for The T.J. Martell Foundation

Photo: Ed Rode for The T.J. Martell Foundation

Photo: Ed Rode for The T.J. Martell Foundation

Lauryn Sink
Latest posts by Lauryn Sink (see all)