Britton Smith, Founder of the funk band Britton and The Sting, is celebrated as a Hydro20 honoree for using music to raise awareness about water’s fundamental role in life and on the planet.

Inspired by a commission to write for Little Island amphitheater on the water, Smith recognized that water’s deeper significance is often overlooked as a mere necessity.

His transformative response was Mama, a theatrical show featuring 16 songs designed to foster a meaningful relationship with water, encouraging audiences to see it as a living element.

Through Mama and a World Water Day event in New York, Smith combines music, storytelling, and dialogue, hosting panels with scientists, advocates, and water leaders to spark conversation. His work inspires awe, using stories—like that of the first single drop of water to fall on Earth—to make water’s importance unforgettable.

By engaging audiences emotionally, he encourages them to rethink water and support sustainability efforts.

Smith’s performances create a direct impact, with audiences visibly moved to reconsider their connection to water, fostering new collaborations with water professionals. His innovative approach to blending art and advocacy is reshaping how communities engage with water sustainability.

Britton Smith’s creative leadership in using music to drive water awareness has earned him a well-deserved place among the Hydro20 honorees.