U2 Selected as MusiCares Persons of the Year for 2027

U2’s Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. have been named the 2027 MusiCares Persons of the Year and will be honored in February “for their groundbreaking body of work and decades of using their reach, resources and music to support people and the fight for justice around the world. “

Bono was previously honored as the 2003 MusiCares Person of the Year and today’s announcement from the organization notes that the “2027 recognition tells a broader story: one of four bandmates who, together and through causes personal to each of them, have spent decades putting the platform of U2 in service of others.”

The 36th annual MusiCares Persons of the Year benefit gala takes place on Feb. 5 at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles ahead of the 2027 Grammys at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 7. The MusiCares ceremony will include a cocktail reception, dinner and a tribute concert with performances by renowned artists celebrating U2.

“We are honored to celebrate and recognize U2 as this year’s MusiCares Persons of the Year,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy® and MusiCares. “Their impact goes far beyond the stage. Not only has their music defined generations, but they’ve been equally exemplary in their dedication to humanitarian work and using their platform for good. We are so excited to come together to honor their collective artistry and commitment to giving back on this special night.”

This year marks 50 years since the U2 members met at their Dublin high school and since then the members have won 22 Grammy awards, sold more than 170 million albums worldwide and set numerous records on tour. The band was named Pollstar ’s Top Touring Artist of the Decade in 2019, with over $1 billion grossed and 9,300,500 tickets sold on 255 shows. U2 ranked No. 2 on Pollstar ’s 25 Most Popular Touring Artists Of The Millennium chart , selling 20.2 million tickets. The group’s “360° Tour,” 2009-2011, reigned as the highest-grossing tour of all time for eight years. And in 2023 U2 graced the cover of Pollstar in celebration of the band launching the first residency at the groundbreaking Sphere in Las Vegas.   U2’s activism for peace, justice and human rights dates back to their early days, with MusiCares noting that they first campaigned against apartheid in South Africa before they had a record deal. The band’s philanthropy efforts include providing early and ongoing funding for Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education program.

Today’s announcement details some of the band members’ individual activism work including Bono co-founding “sister organizations ONE and (RED) to pressure governments and businesses to do more in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty, and he played a key role in persuading President Bush to create PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief), which has saved 26 million lives to date. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, The Edge co-founded Music Rising to replace instruments and equipment for musicians, schools and music programs affected by disaster. Adam Clayton, who was honored with the MusiCares Stevie Ray Vaughan Award in 2017, has spoken openly about recovery and supported efforts focused on addiction and mental health, including Ireland’s Walk in My Shoes initiative. Larry Mullen Jr. has brought attention to dyslexia and learning differences through his involvement as a producer of the documentary Left Behind.”

“Throughout their career, U2 has demonstrated the extraordinary power of music to bring people  together, draw attention to urgent needs and inspire action,” Theresa Wolters, Executive Director of MusiCares, said in a statement. “Bono, The Edge, Adam, and Larry have each found meaningful ways to  put their voices and resources to work for others, while together U2 has supported causes  spanning global health, disaster response, addiction recovery, mental health, and access to  music education. What resonates so strongly with MusiCares is their belief that success in  music comes with an opportunity to care for the people around you. We are proud to recognize  artists that have spent decades pairing extraordinary artistry with a genuine sense of service.”

U2 added: “We are huge fans of MusiCares and the lifelines they provide across the incredible pool of  talent that is the music industry. We’ve been recording and touring for 50 years because of that  pool, from producers and engineers to carpenters and riggers. ‘Persons of the Year’ couldn’t be  a better title as it’s the people we’ve been so fortunate to work with, and of course our  indomitable audience, that have given us the opportunity to keep making music and keep  rocking the boat on things we really care about. It’s such an honour, and we’re very excited to be in the front row of our first ever U2 gig…we know we’re gonna be outplayed.”

Funds from the MusiCares Person of the Year gala support the organization’s programs including health and wellness services, addiction recovery, mental health, preventive care,  disaster relief, and financial assistance for music professionals.

Individual theater seats and gala dinner tables are now available for purchase at musicares.org/personoftheyear.

Previous MusiCares honorees including Mariah Carey, the Grateful Dead, Jon Bon Jovi, Berry Gordy and  Smokey Robinson, and Joni Mitchell.

MusiCares is a nonprofit charity founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 that offers a safety net of critical health and welfare services to folks in the music community in three key areas: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services, Health Services, and Human Services. Since its founding MusiCares has provided more than $135 million in direct assistance to music professionals, including distributing over $17 million in support last year alone for year-round services and disaster relief efforts.

Visit https://www.musicares.org/ for more information.

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/10/musicares-names-u2-the-2027-persons-of-the-year/)._