SEATTLE — Grammy award-winning singer Brandi Carlile was in Seattle on Tuesday, not to perform a concert, but to celebrate her wife, Catherine.
The Metropolitan King County Council honored Catherine Tuesday with the Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Medal.
"I'm not typically the family member in my household, in the family that gets the awards, so it actually feels pretty good, and I think that this is by far the coolest. This is way cooler than a Grammy in my opinion,” said Catherine Carlile.
Catherine Carlile is in the well-deserved spotlight, alongside her wife, Brandi Carlile.
"She works so hard, and she's accomplished so much,” said Brandi. “Catherine is a really humble person, that doesn't like attention, I guarantee she even hates this. So I love the kind of irony in her having to be proud of herself during Pride Month."
On Tuesday Catherine was one of nine recipients who were awarded the medal. It honors community leaders every year, that answer Dr. King's call to action, "What are you doing for others?"
"It's on a post-it note next to my computer and I think of it as less than a question and more of a mantra or a prayer even and I think we should always ask ourselves that question," said Catherine.
Catherine was named this year as one of People Magazine's "Women Changing the World" and has been the executive director of the Looking Out Foundation since 2012, which has raised more than $4 million dollars to support social justice and humanitarian causes throughout the world.
"It means the world to me, and I'm very, very grateful,” said Catherine.
“We're proud to live in King County,” said Brandi. “I'm proud to be born and raised in King County and to watch my wife get an honor from my county, my city, my state, it's huge to our family. Thank you."