LOS ANGELES — U2 will be honored as the 2027 MusiCares Persons of the Year, the Recording Academy announced Thursday, half a century after the four members of the Irish rock band met as high school students in Dublin in 1976.

The award, which recognizes an act's philanthropy and cultural impact and comes with an all-star tribute concert typically held two nights before the annual Grammy Awards, will be presented to the group's Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 5.

In a statement, MusiCares Executive Director Theresa Wolters hailed the band's work on issues "spanning global health, disaster response, addiction recovery, mental health and access to music education" and said that what "resonates so strongly" with the Recording Academy's charitable arm is the members' "belief that success in music comes with an opportunity to care for the people around you."

Added Harvey Mason Jr., the academy's CEO: "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."

The statement quoted the members of U2 as saying they're "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." The band said they are "very excited to be in the front row of our first ever U2 gig," adding, "We know we're gonna be outplayed."

In late January, Mariah Carey received the MusiCares award at a gala that featured performances by Foo Fighters, Jennifer Hudson, Teddy Swims, Busta Rhymes, Laufey, Jon Batiste and Charlie Puth. Previous honorees include Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand; Bono was previously named Person of the Year on his own in 2003.

U2's recognition comes in the wake of a much-discussed residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, where the band looked back at its 1991 album "Achtung Baby" in a high-tech multimedia presentation. In July, the group released "Street of Dreams," the lead single from a studio album due out later this year.

©2026 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.