U2 to Be Honored as 2027 MusiCares Persons of the Year

U2 — Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. — will be honored as the 2027 MusiCares Persons of the Year. The 36th annual Persons of the Year benefit gala will be held at a new location, Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 5, 2027, two nights before the 2027 Grammys at Crypto.com Arena.

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U2 will be the fourth band to receive the honor, following Fleetwood Mac (2018), Aerosmith (2020) and Grateful Dead (2025).

MusiCares previously honored U2’s front-man, Bono, as an individual at the 2003 MusiCares Person of the Year gala. Bono will become the first person to be honored both individually and in a group.

“We are huge fans of MusiCares and the lifelines they provide across the incredible pool of talent that is the music industry,” the members of U2 said in a joint statement. “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.”

“We are honored to celebrate and recognize U2 as this year’s MusiCares Persons of the Year,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares, said in a statement. “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.”

The 2027 event is moving from the Los Angeles Convention Center to the nearby Peacock Theater, which has a standard maximum seating capacity of 7,100. MusiCares is also introducing a new way for fans to experience the celebration. In addition to the traditional gala dinner seating, individual theater seats for the tribute concert will be available for purchase, opening the performance portion of the evening to a broader audience. Theater seats can be purchased here, with gala dinner tables available here.

The MusiCares Persons of the Year ceremony has traditionally featured a cocktail reception, dinner and a tribute concert with performances by renowned artists celebrating the honoree’s music and humanitarian work. Since its founding in 1991, the gala has raised funds to support MusiCares’ programs, including health and wellness services, addiction recovery, mental health, preventive care, disaster relief and financial assistance for music professionals.

This year’s event will again be produced by live event broadcast outfit Lewis & Clark, comprised of Joe Lewis and R.A. Clark.

U2 has won 22 Grammy awards, more than any other group or duo. They are the only act in Grammy history to win two awards in each of the three highest-profile categories – album of the year, record of the year and song of the year. Alongside their music, the four members have established and supported a wide range of philanthropic and humanitarian campaigns.

Celebrating 50 years together as a band after meeting in their Dublin high school in 1976, the members of U2 have been activists for peace, justice and human rights, first campaigning against apartheid in South Africa before they even had a record deal. In 2005, the band received Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award. U2 provided early and ongoing philanthropic funding for Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education program, whose mission is to empower young people across the island of Ireland to realize their full potential through access to high-quality lessons in how to play, sing and create music.

In addition to these joint efforts, Bono co-founded 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 George W. Bush to create PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief), which has saved millions of lives. 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.

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. Mullen Jr. has brought attention to dyslexia and learning differences through his involvement as a producer of the documentary Left Behind.

These efforts represent distinct areas of focus for each member while also reflecting a history of shared activism and campaigning by the band.