Kane Brown is the latest recipient of the CRS Artist Humanitarian Award. The award was given to Brown in honor of his numerous philanthropic endeavors, including being an avid and outspoken supporter and contributor to the Boys and Girls Club.

“This is such a huge honor,” Brown said when accepting the award. “I don’t ever expect to get an award for helping people, especially kids. But the Boys and Girls Club just has been so amazing to me because, yes, I can help them, but they helped me, ’cause I see myself in them. I didn’t really have anybody to help me coming up. So it’s cool that I get to give back.”

Brown became emotional as he talked about how the struggles of his own childhood inspired him to help other youth who are also experiencing hardships.

“So for me, growing up, my dad’s been in prison since 1996,” Brown shared. “My mom was a single mom working and raising two kids, trying to work multiple jobs.  I never knew anything about money growing up, but now that I’m older, and realize what she was making back in the day, I don’t even know how we really survived. Sports was a huge thing for me after school, to stay out of trouble. My little brother went down a different path. So once I found out about the Boys and Girls Club, I just wished that I would’ve been part of the community.”

It’s Brown’s own struggles growing up, and his ability to overcome them, which makes him want to do all he can for troubled youth.

“I feel like I have a different opinion,” Brown explained. “I had really one person in my life that was always there for me, which was my Nana. But as I got older, she was struggling with money and things like that. I remember working two jobs and trying to get a car, and I didn’t have any family member that could just give me a dollar. So I had to go to work. And I was working at Target, I was working at FedEx, I was working at Lowe’s while I was still in high school, just so I could get around. Nobody was telling me, ‘Stay in school, just keep doing what you’re doing and stay strong.'”

The father of two, with one on the way, hopes his commitment to the Boys and Girls Club will inspire others to help those in need as well.

“Everybody’s people,” Brown reflected. “Everybody’s human. Everybody bleeds the same … Boys and Girls Club, just helping them out always makes my day better.”

Brown has a Top 5 hit with “I Can Feel It,” part of an upcoming, still-untitled new album. He will kick off his In The Air Tour on March 28 in Charlottesville, Virginia, joined by an impressive list of opening acts, including Chris Young, Tyler Hubbard, Cole Swindell, Jon Pardi and Bailey Zimmerman and more. Find music and tour dates at KaneBrownMusic.com.