Person of the Year is an annual gala presented by MusiCares, a 501(c)(3) public charity and affiliate of The Recording Academy (the organization that distributes the Grammy Awards), to raise funds for MusiCares’ mission and to honor recording artists for their creative achievements and their dedication to philanthropy. Chosen by the MusiCares Foundation, award recipients are honored during "Grammy Week" (a string of events culminating with the annual Grammy Awards ceremony). Person of the year gala consistes of a seated dinner and start-studded tribute concert.
| MusiCares Person of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Artistic achievement in the music industry and dedication to philanthropy |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | MusiCares |
| First awarded | 1991 |
| Last awarded | Ongoing annually |
| Website | [1] |
From 1991 to 1993, the first three MusiCares Person of the Year awards were presented to American musicians David Crosby, Bonnie Raitt, and Natalie Cole. 2018 honorees Fleetwood Mac became the first group to receive the award. Dolly Parton is the first country artist to receive the honor, in 2019. In 2023, Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy received the award, marking the first time two luminaries were honored in one year. The award was not presented in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recipients
| Year[I] | Image | Recipient | Lifetime | Nationality | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | David Crosby | 1941–2023 | United States | ||
| 1992 | Bonnie Raitt | b. 1949 | United States | ||
| 1993 | Natalie Cole | 1950–2015 | United States | ||
| 1994 | Gloria Estefan | b. 1957 | Cuba United States | ||
| 1995 | Tony Bennett | 1926–2023 | United States | ||
| 1996 | Quincy Jones | b. 1933 | United States | ||
| 1997 | Phil Collins | b. 1951 | United Kingdom | ||
| 1998 | Luciano Pavarotti | 1935–2007 | Italy | ||
| 1999 | Stevie Wonder | b. 1950 | United States | ||
| 2000 | Elton John | b. 1947 | United Kingdom | ||
| 2001 | Paul Simon | b. 1941 | United States | ||
| 2002 | Billy Joel | b. 1949 | United States | ||
| 2003 | Bono | b. 1960 | Ireland | ||
| 2004 | Sting | b. 1951 | United Kingdom | ||
| 2005 | Brian Wilson | b. 1942 | United States | ||
| 2006 | James Taylor | b. 1948 | United States | ||
| 2007 | Don Henley | b. 1947 | United States | ||
| 2008 | Aretha Franklin | 1942–2018 | United States | ||
| 2009 | Neil Diamond | b. 1941 | United States | ||
| 2010 | Neil Young | b. 1945 | Canada | ||
| 2011 | Barbra Streisand | b. 1942 | United States | ||
| 2012 | Paul McCartney | b. 1942 | United Kingdom | ||
| 2013 | Bruce Springsteen | b. 1949 | United States | ||
| 2014 | Carole King | b. 1942 | United States | ||
| 2015 | Bob Dylan | b. 1941 | United States | ||
| 2016 | Lionel Richie | b. 1949 | United States | ||
| 2017 | Tom Petty | 1950–2017 | United States | ||
| 2018 | Fleetwood Mac: Mick Fleetwood John McVie Christine McVie Lindsey Buckingham Stevie Nicks | b. 1947 b. 1945 1943–2022 b. 1949 b. 1948 | United States United Kingdom | ||
| 2019 | Dolly Parton | b. 1946 | United States | ||
| 2020 | Aerosmith: Joe Perry Steven Tyler Tom Hamilton Joey Kramer Brad Whitford | b. 1950 b. 1948 b. 1951 b. 1950 b. 1952 | United States | ||
| 2022 | Joni Mitchell | b. 1943 | Canada | ||
| 2023 | Berry Gordy & Smokey Robinson | b. 1929 b. 1940 | United States | ||
| 2024 | Jon Bon Jovi | b. 1962 | United States |
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^[I] Each year is linked to an article about the Annual Grammy Awards ceremony of that year.