Singer Alicia Keys was in Montreal on Saturday to receive the Ambassador of Conscience award from Amnesty International.
According to the organization, the award honours people “who have used their talents to inspire others to fight for human rights.”
Speaking to reporters before the ceremony at Montreal’s L’Astral, Keys said artists like Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and Bob Marley inspired her activism. She called receiving the award “a humbling experience.”
The Grammy-winning star shared this year’s award with Canada’s indigenous rights movement.
Keys is co-founder of Keep a Child Alive, which helps families affected by HIV in Africa and India, and is outspoken on a wide range of social issues, including U.S. criminal justice reform.
Saturday’s ceremony included performances by several indigenous artists as well as homegrown singers Patrick Watson and Sofia Nolin.