GARTH BROOKS RECEIVES ARTIST OF A LIFETIME AWARD FROM THE RIAA AND IS RECOGNIZED AS THE FIRST AND ONLY ARTIST TO CROSS THE 200 MILLION CERTIFIED ALBUM SALES MARK

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) presented Garth Brooks with the first-ever Artist of a Lifetime Award at the RIAA Honors event in Washington, D.C. this week, recognizing him as the #1-selling album artist in history, with more than 200 million certified album sales.  He is also the only artist to receive 10 RIAA Diamond Awards for 10 albums certified at over 10 million: Garth Brooks, No Fences, Ropin’ the Wind, The Chase, In Pieces, The Hits, Sevens, Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and Triple Live.  According to the RIAA, Double Live is the biggest selling live album in the U.S., while Double Live, No Fences, Ropin’ the Wind, and Triple Live are four of the top five best-selling country albums of all time.

RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier; Universal Music Publishing Group, North America President Evan Lamberg; and Blue Note Records President Don Was presented the Artist of a Lifetime Award to Brooks. “No one I’ve ever worked with projects charisma through a microphone the way Garth Brooks does,” Was said.  

Accepting the award, Garth reflected, “They say that gratefulness is the seed of happiness, and I am grateful every single day to have been given this shot. A lot of people get the shot. But Bob Doyle told me early on that getting the shot wasn't going to be the hard part. The hard part was going to be hanging on to it. I can’t thank God and the people enough for my life and the career I have been so lucky to have.”

Garth then thrilled the crowd with an acoustic medley of his hits and the songs that inspired him. James Taylor’s “Carolina In My Mind” and “Fire and Rain” flowed into “The River,” while Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page” led to “The Thunder Rolls.” He wrapped the set with George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning” and “Friends in Low Places,” bringing the audience to their feet.

The annual RIAA Honors event recognizes artists, music industry executives, and policymakers who have shaped the landscape of American music and protected it through advocacy and legislation.  Honored along with Brooks were Disney Music Group president Ken Bunt, who was named Label Executive of the Year; and U.S. Representatives Nathaniel Moran of Texas and Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania.  The legislators were both recognized as Policymaker of the Year for championing the bipartisan NO FAKES Act and TRAIN Act, which offer protections against unauthorized AI use of copyrighted works and artists’ voice and likeness.