The MusiCares Person of the Year is an award presented annually by
MusiCares, the charity arm of
The Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
s, to commend musicians for their artistic achievement in the
music industry
The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, trai ...
and dedication to
philanthropy
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
.
The award's name reflects the
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
health care
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health ...
organization known as
MusiCares, established by the academy "to provide health and medical assistance to needy musicians".
Chosen by the MusiCares Foundation, award recipients are honored during "Grammy week" (a string of galas just prior to the annual Grammy Awards ceremony)
with an "all-star" tribute concert that helps to raise money for the foundation.
From 1991 to 1993, the first three MusiCares Person of the Year awards were presented to American musicians
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...
,
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporate ...
, and
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the ...
.
Cuban American singer
Gloria Estefan received the award in 1994, followed by Americans
Tony Bennett and
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
. Between 1997 and 2004, the award went to British musicians
Phil Collins,
Sir Elton John, and
Sting, Italian
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
tic
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...
Luciano Pavarotti, American musicians
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
,
Paul Simon, and
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the " Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since th ...
, and Irish musician
Bono. 2018 honorees
Fleetwood Mac became the first group to receive the award.
Dolly Parton is the first
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...
artist to receive the honor, in 2019.
In 2020, the group
Aerosmith was honored.
[Aerosmith To Be Honored As 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year](_blank)
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Recipients
Each year is linked to an article about the Annual Grammy Awards ceremony of that year.
See also
* Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year
* List of Grammy Award categories
* List of humanitarian and service awards
References
External links
Grammy Awards official website
MusiCares feature in L.A. Times
{{Authority control
1991 establishments in the United States
Awards established in 1991
Humanitarian and service awards
Tribute concerts