SSCS Founder and President Paul Watson Honors Prosocial Australian Singer-Songwriter

LOS ANGELES, CA – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is honored to recognize long-term supporter Xavier Rudd with the Rock the Boat Award. The Rock the Boat Award is presented annually to musicians who proactively support Sea Shepherd campaigns to defend, conserve, and protect ocean wildlife. The award was first presented to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2007 at the Sea Shepherd 30th Anniversary Gala in Santa Monica, California. Rudd is the second recipient of the award.

Rudd has been an ardent supporter of Sea Shepherd campaigns for several years. He has flown the Sea Shepherd Jolly Roger flag on stage during his critically acclaimed live performances and has encouraged his fans to support Sea Shepherd’s mission to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans. On his current North American concert tour, Rudd partnered with Sea Shepherd to place outreach tables, designed to raise funds and awareness, at each of his tour’s venue locations. Rudd’s song “Better People” off his 2007 album “White Moth” acknowledged the good work of Sea Shepherd and other prosocial groups, and a music video was cut for the song which utilized Sea Shepherd footage.

Last fall, Rudd personally visited the Sea Shepherd flagship while it was docked in Brisbane, Australia prior to the launch of the Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Musashi. He met with Captain Watson and his crew to learn more about their mission and explore further avenues for partnership.

Captain Paul Watson commented, “Music is a powerful media and it is an essential tool for increasing awareness and raising support. We all have the power to change the world in so many different ways and musicians like Xavier Rudd are blessed with the ability to convey messages powerfully with great emotion.”