Country music superstar Kenny Chesney will receive the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2026 Public Service Award, honoring his work on behalf of causes such as hurricane recovery, ocean stewardship and animal rescue.
“We are truly delighted to have multi-talented Kenny Chesney accepting the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2026 Public Service Award,” Press Club President Danny Bakewell Jr. said in a statement. “Mr. Chesney’s superstar status is only part of this great humanitarian’s life. Away from the limelight, he has continuously provided generous support for numerous charities and causes. The only thing bigger than the man’s talent is his enormous heart.”
Chesney will receive the honor during the 68th Southern California Journalism Awards Gala, scheduled for June 28 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
The club also noted Chesney’s financial support of victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and his charity fund-raising tune “Song for the Saints,” also featuring Ziggy Marley and Jimmy Buffet.
“I think how we live and what we give, but also the way we help others, is so important,” Chesney said in a statement released by the Press Club. “In my music, I try to spread as much positive energy and heart as I can. Bringing people together, no matter what they believe, creates communities, heals people and reminds us how much we can do when we work together.”
The awards gala will also honor journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa with the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism, while ABC7 sports anchor Rob Fukuzaki will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and attorney Carol Sobel will receive the Guardian Award for Contributions to Press Freedom. NBC News journalist and “Today” co-host Craig Melvin will receive the President’s Award for Impact on Media.
Organizers said the gala is expected to draw about 550 journalists and media executives and serves as a fundraiser supporting the Los Angeles Press Club’s educational programs, journalism grants, scholarships and mentorship efforts for young journalists from underserved communities.