Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Elle King and Lyle Lovett will pay tribute to Willie Nelson as the LBJ Foundation gives Nelson its highest honor, the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award, at a gala May 12th, at the LBJ Presidential Library.

These musicians have been inspired by Nelson and share deep admiration for his musical talents and philanthropic efforts.

“It’s a reflection of Willie’s impactful legacy that these extraordinary artists will be paying tribute to him,” says Larry Temple, chairman of the LBJ Foundation Board of Trustees. “We couldn’t be happier with how the evening is shaping up.”

Net proceeds from the gala will benefit the newly established Willie Nelson Endowment for Uplifting Rural Communities at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Willie has long advocated for sustainable agriculture, worked to eliminate global food insecurity and assisted those affected by natural disasters. Farm Aid, perhaps his best-known cause, has raised more than $70 million in aid and helped increase awareness about the plight of family farms. The Willie Nelson Endowment will fund research and student fellowships focused on sustainable agriculture, eliminating hunger, resilient energy, sustainable water and natural disaster recovery to benefit rural communities.

The endowment has received $100,000 sponsorships from President and Mrs. Johnson’s daughters, Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson, as well as Texas retailer H-E-B, which is the largest private employer in Texas.

Ticket and sponsorship information is available at www.lbjaward.org.