Rush’s Geddy Lee to Receive Humanitarian Achievement Award

Geddy Lee, the influential bassist-vocalist behind Canadian classic rockers Rush, will be honored with a solo lifetime achievement award this Saturday (Sept. 11) from the nonprofit Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) at a gala in the musician's home base of Toronto.

But the award isn't in recognition of the artist's musical output — no, it's a humanitarian honor saluting Lee's commitment to philanthropy, according to a press release obtained by Samaritanmag.com.

That's because, over the years, the Rush icon has supported charitable outreaches such as Toronto Food Bank, Alberta Floods, Doctors Without Borders, Grapes for Humanity, United Way, Canadian Museum for Human Rights and others, as Blabbermouth noted. That's on top of his contributions to research for brain cancer, the type that led to Rush drummer Neil Peart's death.

The APJ gala is held annually around the same time as the area's Toronto International Film Festival. This year's gala, hosted by Canadian radio personality George Stroumboulopoulos, is already sold out. The event promises live performances from Haitian artist Paul Beaubrun, Slaight Music's Kayla Diamond and a virtual one from Rick Springfield, as well as video greetings from actors Ben Stiller and Susan Sarandon.

According to the organization's website, "APJ is comprised of artists, advocates and creatives across all disciplines who believe in the power of artists to change the world. We believe that everyone has the creative capacity and voice to make a difference and that [we must] leverage our collective talent to help create a more just and peaceful world." Its U.S. board of directors includes Stiller and Sarandon as co-chairs.

Rush as a group previously received the 2015 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at the Juno Awards. In 2017, they received the Canadian broadcast industry's Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award.

Find out more about the APJ event below.