Recognizing country music artists for community service and generosity.

There is no bigger heart in Nashville than Vince Gill's -- and none so often called to service. Apart from his sponsorship of and participation in dozens of organized charities, he is remarkable for his countless acts of personal kindness. As a humanitarian, his causes are many, among them programs for children's recreation, education, the terminally ill, the homeless and the hungry, cultural and environmental preservation and the humane treatment of animals. Nearly all of his concerts have a local charity component.

Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Okla., the son of a federal judge and a homemaker. By the time he was in high school, he had become proficient on the banjo and guitar and was playing in his first bluegrass band. After graduation, he turned professional, working with such acts as the Bluegrass Alliance, Boone Creek, Sundance and, most famously, Pure Prairie League. For a time, Vince also toured with Emmylou Harris as a member of her high-octane backup band, the Cherry Bombs. In 1983, he signed to RCA Records where he scored his first solo country hits, among them "Oklahoma Borderline" and "Cinderella."

Vince moved to MCA Records in 1989. The following year, he achieved his big breakthrough with "When I Call Your Name." It won him the Country Music Association's single of the year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors, including entertainer of the year twice and song of the year four times. To date, Vince has earned more CMA trophies than anyone else in the organization's history. Prized for his easygoing manner and quick wit, he hosted the nationally televised CMA awards show from 1992 through 2003.

Since 1990, Vince has won 17 Grammy awards, his most recent one this year for producing the album Rock of Ages ... Hymns & Faith for his wife, pop and gospel star Amy Grant. In 1991, Vince became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He remains one of that revered radio show's most active members. His most cherished honor came in 2005 when he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

As a recording artist, Vince has racked up sales in excess of 22 million. His high, pure tenor voice and unerring sense of harmony have made him a favorite duet recording partner for dozens of fellow artists from Ralph Stanley to Barbra Streisand. Always ready to help a friend or a new artist on the way up, Vince has sung or played on more than 600+ albums. He is currently recording his 15th album for MCA, which is scheduled to be released late 2006. The Vinny
Determined that children should have the opportunity to enjoy the social and health benefits of outdoor sports, regardless of their personal circumstances, Vince established a pro-celebrity golf tournament in 1993 to raise funds for that goal. The annual event, which has come to be known as The Vinny, has raised more than $3.5 million for Junior Golf of Tennessee.

All for the HallTM/Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Vince conceived and organized the ongoing All for the HallTM fundraising campaign on behalf of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Instead of simply asking others to contribute, each of the many artists involved in this campaign agree to donate the proceeds from one of their concert to this culturally vital institution. Vince has also served as president of the Hall of Fame's board since 2002.

Other Causes/National
American Heart Association; Boys Clubs/Girls Clubs; CAPE (child abuse prevention); Compassion International; Crossroads (Eric Clapton's rehabilitation clinic in Antigua); Walden Pond Project (a movement to save the rain forests led by the Eagles); Easter Seals; Feed the Children; Second Harvest Food Banks; Hands Across the Water (aid for victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami); T. J. Martell Foundation (cancer research); Special Olympics and Special Care (children with disabilities); National Coalition for the Homeless; Kidney Foundation; Make-A-Wish Foundation; Parkinsongs Benefit (victims of Parkinson's disease); Ear Foundation; Salvation Army; St. Jude Children's Hospital; Toys for Tots; and Terra's Benefit (for the terminally ill).

Other Causes/National

Anchorage Area Food Bank; Baptist Hospital (Nashville); Belmont University (sports and music programs/Nashville); Capital Area Food Bank (Vienna, Va.); Challenge Aspen; Children's Home (Myrtle Beach, S.C.); Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters (Norfolk, Va.); Christmas For Kids (Dayton, Ohio); Coats For Kids (St. Louis and Hershey, Pa.); Cystic Fibrosis (Baltimore); Dayton (Ohio) Children's Medical Center; Food Bank (Selingsgrove, Pa.); Holyfield Foundation Youth Scholarship (Atlanta); Jackson (Mich.) Interfaith Center; Lincoln (Neb.) Food Bank; March Of Dimes (Norfolk, Va.): Mid-Ohio Food Bank (Columbus); Nashville Interfaith Dental Care; Pregnancy Crisis Center (Nashville); Providence House (Cleveland, Ohio); Saint Cecelia Benefit (Nashville); South Shore Art Center (Cohasset, Mass.); Storm Aid (Jackson, Tenn.); Tara Home For Boys (Myrtle Beach, S.C.); Healing Fund (Denver, Colo.); The Relief Fund/Red Cross (victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing); Union Mission Ministries (Charleston, W.Va.); Variety Club Of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas); Walden's Puddle (animal shelter, Nashville); and Coat Drive for the Homeless (Washington, D.C.).