Country music stars to perform at gala where Willie Nelson will be honored with prestigious Texas award

AUSTIN (KXAN) –The LBJ Foundation will honor Willie Nelson with its most prestigious award, the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award, Friday at a gala dinner at the LBJ Presidential Library.

Willie Nelson, who just celebrated his 90th birthday, won’t be the only country musician in attendance. The gala will also feature performances by Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Elle King and Lyle Lovett. 

Only several other people have received the prestigious award since it was created in 2010. Other award recipients include President George H. W. Bush, President Jimmy Carter, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Sen. John McCain, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein.

 “A lifelong advocate for farmers, alleviating food insecurity, and support of rural communities, Nelson embodies President Lyndon Baines Johnson's commitment to public service, particularly in the areas of farming and food security,” The LBJ Foundation wrote in a release about the event

Net proceeds from the event will benefit the newly established Willie Nelson Endowment for Uplifting Rural Communities at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, a part of UT Austin. The endowment will fund research and student fellowships focused on sustainable agriculture, eliminating hunger, resilient energy, sustainable water, and natural disaster recovery to benefit rural and farm communities.