On the path to becoming famous, awards are typically involved as part of the verification of talent, but when verifying impact, the awards can come in shapes quite different than little trophies. That impact can be felt in numbers of albums sold or how much the box office made in the opening weekend, or it can be straight from the communities who felt the light of a certain star shine particularly bright on them.
Isaiah Rashad was doing what he does best onstage during his performance at the Bonnaroo music festival in his home state of Tennessee when he was given the key to the city of Chattanooga by the city’s mayor Tim Kelly. The mayor of the rapper's hometown declared June 17 as Isaiah Rashad Day and gifted with the key onstage, where Kelly told him he's "made Chattanooga proud," as per the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "You’re an inspiration to this crowd, to the world, to this city, and so I wanted to present you with a key to the city of Chattanooga,” Kelly said to the crowd which erupted in cheers.
Being given the key to a city is more symbolic than functional, and before you ask, no, the key doesn't open anything. But it's a beautiful gesture and a way to celebrate an artist who’s done a lot for the city. Click through to see which celebrities have earned this honor.