Darius Rucker was the recipient of the 2026 Veterans Voice Award Presented by USAA’s Honor Through Action at the 52nd American Music Awards on Monday night. The Hootie and the Blowfish frontman and diamond-selling country musician has continued to champion those who serve through his support of military organizations like the Military Warriors Support Foundation. During the course of his career, he’s performed on multiple overseas USO tours and at events in support of veterans such as the DoD Warrior Games.

“It’s called the Veterans Voice Award, and I take that to heart big time because all of us can use our voice to support these brave men and women who are serving our country,” Rucker said during his acceptance speech. “We got to make sure that they feel appreciated — not just on big days like Memorial Day — but every day we should be doing this.

“I’ve been really fortunate because I’ve been all over the world, and I hear stories from service members who are stationed everywhere. One of the biggest thing they’ve given me is perspective, because these people have been through things that we could never imagine — ever — and you learn real quick what resilience looks like when you’re sitting talking to the military families.”

He concluded with, “Once I was talking to a veteran, and he said to me that when somebody says to them, ‘Thank you for your service,’ he says, ‘Thank you for what we’re serving,’ and that’s what we all should be doing right now. We should be striving to live, to become a community and become a country that we deserve what they sacrificed.

“So tonight, I want us all to be as loud as we can and yell and use our voices to let these folks know that we love them, and we appreciate them, and we thank them.”

The AMAs ceremony, fittingly broadcast on Memorial Day during Military Appreciation Month, included Rucker reuniting with his Hootie and the Blowfish members, who performed “Hold My Hand” and “Only Wanna Be With You” from their 22x-platinum debut, 1994’s Cracked Rear View.

The American Music Awards were created by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Corporation, The Hollywood Reporter‘s parent company, in a subsidiary joint venture between Penske Media and Eldridge.

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