Andrea Bocelli is the recipient of the 2024 Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, which is presented by The Ruderman Family Foundation. Bocelli is being recognized for his career, as well as for his philanthropic work through the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. Bocelli will formally receive the award when he is in Boston later this year, coinciding with his 2024 holiday tour. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) will receive a $100,000 contribution to help rebuild ABF schools throughout Haiti. “Whether it be through my personal journey, musical career, or philanthropic projects, I have always prioritized giving a voice to the voiceless — to give back to the world all the good things I have received, so the less fortunate or most vulnerable members of our society get a chance to achieve a life full of opportunity and beauty,” Bocelli said in a statement. “It is therefore a tremendous honor to receive this award from the Ruderman Family Foundation, an organization that shares my worldview in both word and deed. Together, we will continue to work to build a better world than the one we have found.” The award, now in its 10th year, was named after Morton E. Ruderman, a founder of the Ruderman Family Foundation. The ABF, together with the local partner Foundation St. Luc, has already helped rebuild several schools in Haiti in five of the poorest and most remote communities, offering educational access to more than 3,500 students every day. Bocelli’s foundation has raised 70 million Euros, has funded 10 schools in Haiti and Italy, and has improved water access for more than 400,000 people since its establishment in 2011. Past recipients of the Morton E. Ruderman Award who were honored specifically for effectuating change on the issue of inclusion include Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrelly. (Peter Farrelly won two Oscars in 2019 for co-producing and co-writing Green Book.) Several other recipients of the award have been recognized for their efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, including actress Eva Longoria, actor and recording artist Selena Gomez, five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love, Oscar-nominated actor Taraji P. Henson, and Olympian Michael Phelps. Bocelli, a world-renowned tenor, has amassed nine top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including Si, which debuted at No. 1 in November 2018. Five of his albums have logged a full year or more on Billboard’s flagship album chart: Romanza (91 weeks), Sogno (72), Aria – The Opera Album (69), Amore (59) and My Christmas (52). Bocelli’s only hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was a 2010 collaboration with Mary J. Blige – a remake of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Surprisingly, Bocelli has yet to win a Grammy, despite five nominations.
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