SoundExchange announced today that legendary country singer Randy Travis has been honored with the SoundExchange Music Fairness Award for his advocacy for Congress to modernize the nation’s copyright law to protect creators and support of the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA).
In 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy and now suffers from aphasia, making it difficult to speak and sing. Earlier this year, Travis and his wife Mary joined SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe to testify before Congress in support of modernizing the nation’s copyright law to protect creators. AMFA would require terrestrial broadcasters in the United States – the only democratic nation in the world without a performance right for artists on AM/FM radio – to pay artists royalties when their songs are played on the air. (Full witness testimony as well as a video of the hearing is available at judiciary.house.gov.)
“Randy Travis is a music icon and a courageous leader, willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that everyone – from music fans to lawmakers – is aware of the inequities suffered by creators for more than a century,” said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “Randy and Mary’s powerful testimony is a step forward in paving a better future for the next generation of artists. We are honored to present Randy Travis with the SoundExchange Music Fairness Award.”
“Thank you to SoundExchange for recognizing Randy for his advocacy. He loves country radio and everyone in it, he also loves his fellow creators. What he is advocating for here is an equitable solution to better align artists, labels, and radio going forward under the changing environment of the music industry,” said Mary Travis on behalf of Randy Travis. “An old Greek proverb says, ‘a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit’ – it’s up to artists like Randy to help make a better world for those to come… he embraces that responsibility whole-heartedly.”
Travis has been a valued SoundExchange member since 2003 and entrusts SoundExchange to collect worldwide neighboring rights royalties on his behalf through more than 65 agreements SoundExchange has with counterpart organizations, covering nearly 90% of the global neighboring rights market.
With lifetime sales exceeding 25 million, Randy Travis is one of the most successful multi-genre artists of all time and a 2016 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1986. His accolades include seven Grammy Awards, 11 Academy of Country Music Awards, 10 American Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, seven Music City News Awards, eight Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association and five Country Music Association Awards. Three of his performances earned CMA Song of the Year honors: “On the Other Hand” (1986), “Forever and Ever, Amen” (1987), and “Three Wooden Crosses” (2002). To date, he has 23 No. 1 singles, 31 Top 10 hits, and more than 40 appearances in feature films and television shows. His discography includes four Gold albums, four Platinum albums, one Double Platinum album, one Triple Platinum album, and one Quintuple Platinum album. In 1992, Travis was recognized by the USO for his support and dedication to US Troops, including five USO tours, and was named the recipient of the Bob Hope Entertainment Award. In 2004, Travis was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is celebrated on Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame. Since his near-fatal stroke in 2013, Travis, with the support of his wife Mary and rigorous physical therapy, has made significant strides in his recovery, including improvements in speaking, walking and singing. In 2019, he released his critically acclaimed memoir Forever and Ever, Amen, co-authored with Ken Abraham. In 2021, CMT named Travis the CMT Artist of a Lifetime. In 2022, he released his award-winning documentary More Life garnering six Telly Awards. In May 2024, With the assistance of AI, Travis and Warner Music Nashville released “Where That Came From,” marking his first new recording in over a decade, showcasing his signature vocals. The single debuted at No. 45 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, receiving an enthusiastic reception from both fans and country radio. For more information, visit RandyTravis.com.
SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 700,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $11 billion in distributions to date. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.
