Sarah McLachlan to receive the 2009 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award

Singer Sarah McLachlan will receive the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award during the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on Saturday, March 28th. The singer is being recoginised by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CTV. Sarah McLachlan to receive award for her humanitarian contributions.

Sarah McLachlan to receive award for her humanitarian contributions.The award was named after CHUM Ltd. founder Allan Waters and is made possible by funding from the CTV/CHUM benefits package. It recognizes an outstanding Canadian artist whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada.In a press release, Sarah McLachlan stated: "I am honoured and humbled to receive the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award. I feel so lucky and blessed in my life and giving back feels right and good -- it's the best way I know to thank the universe."McLachlan has enjoyed a successful career in music with multi-platinum selling albums, numerous awards and sold-out tours. She is also known for her humanitarian contributions to charities and organizations at home and internationally, and for using her music as a platform for social change. In 1997, Sarah McLachlan founded Lilith Fair, a touring concert festival organized to showcase and promote women in music. The tour exclusively headlined female artists and bands - an ambitious and ground-breaking idea that had never been achieved in such a large capacity - and garnered the support and participation of many of music's top artists including Bonnie Raitt, Christina Aguilera, Erykah Badu, Fiona Apple, Indigo Girls, Lisa Loeb, Nelly Furtado, Sheryl Crow and Tracy Chapman to name a few. In 1999, Lilith Fair had raised more than $7 million for charities and women's shelters across North America. In 2000, McLachlan received Canada's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada, for her outstanding achievements, dedication to the community and service to the nation.