Luminaries from across the music world joined forces Tuesday (9/17) to honor Big Loud CEO Seth England with the T.J. Martell Foundation's Lifetime Music Industry Award. The organization raised $2.6m with the gala, which is being touted as its most successful in more than two decades.

Big Loud artists Morgan Wallen, HARDY and ERNEST took the stage to celebrate England at Cipriani 42nd Street, with the former playing the unreleased new song "Love Somebody" for the first time in the U.S.

England’s stand at Big Loud, which began with an internship, has seen him rise to the rank of CEO and partner. He’s also been instrumental to guiding Big Loud Publishing—90 #1s and counting—and Big Loud Management, launched in 2011. The Illinois native was chosen for this year’s award for both his impact on the music industry and his unwavering support for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s mission to cure cancer.

“The work that the T.J. Martell Foundation has done has touched countless lives, and being a part of that legacy is beyond humbling," said England, who also thanked Wallen, HARDY and ERNEST for having "showed up for me [and] showed up for this foundation and for cancer research, because that’s who they are as people.”

REPUBLIC CORPS. EVP/Business & Legal Affairs and Business Development Steve Gawley, who is also chairman-elect of the T.J. Martell Foundation board of trustees, saluted England and his wife, Rakiyah Marshall, for their own $250k donation and work planning a May breakfast event at Nashville's Nissan Stadium, which raised another $1.1m. Big Loud's Craig Wiseman, who has long served as a mentor to England, donated $300k to the cause.

"He truly cares. [He] understood the gravity of our cause and he jumped in with both feet," Gawley said of England. "Seth’s only question was, 'How do we make the most impact?'"

Also last night, Def Jam CCO/EVP Archie Davis, who received the Rising Music Superstar Award at the 2023 gala, announced an initiative aimed at raising awareness of early cancer screening and testing.

Brianne Deslippe, Eric England, Candice Watkins, Greg Thompson, Patch Culbertson,
Joey Moi, Austen Adam, England, Wiseman, Kimberly Gleason, Sara Knabe and Paul Logan

HARDY, Wallen and ERNEST

Moi, England, Wiseman and Gawley

England with his parents, Dee and Mike, and wife Rakiyah Marshall

Photos: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for the T.J. Martell Foundation