From his monumental work with The White Stripes to his expansion on the modern blues-rock sound with The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather in addition to running his highly influential and innovative Third Man Records, Jack White has always received the beaming praise of those inside the music industry. Now, those outside the biz are celebrating White as he becomes the inaugural winner of the Music City Ambassador Award from the City of Nashville

According to Spinner, White, who was given the award by the city and the Nashville Music Council during an April 16th ceremony, was honored for demonstrating a “commitment to Nashville’s unique creative climate and musical diversity.” Mayor Karl Dean went on to say that White’s “individual talent and unique creative spirit bridges gaps between genres and generations and I couldn’t be more pleased to thank him for his work on behalf of the music industry and its hometown.”

White established Third Man Records in Nashville, where he also lives with his wife and two children, in 2009. The label currently acts as a record store, recording and rehearsal space, and photo studio. In response to his win, White told the crowd, “Every day we’re excited to be in a city that truly fosters local music and businesses and new ideas. I don’t know another town whose mayor is on the board of its music council.”