Tom Petty will be honored as the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, two nights prior to the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Proceeds from the 27th annual benefit gala dinner and concert will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.
A three-time GRAMMY winner, Petty is being honored in recognition of his significant creative accomplishments, his career-long interest in defending artists' rights and the charitable work he has undertaken throughout his career, which has notably focused on the homeless population in Los Angeles.
"Tom burst into our musical consciousness and never let go," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and MusiCares. "His brand of rock and roll benefits from a celebratory rebelliousness, infectious rhythms and unforgettable lyrics that are incised in our imaginations. His artistic talents coupled with his quiet philanthropy make him a great MusiCares Person of the Year honoree, and we are very fortunate to have the support of our Board, past honorees and the musical community around this special event."
"I am so very pleased to be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year. I have so much respect for this organization, which really does care about the people in our industry," said Petty. "I myself know many people who MusiCares has aided in desperate situations. Again, let me say this is a true honor."
"Tom Petty is an icon whose incomparable artistry has provided inspiration to fans and musicians all over the world," said Alexandra Patsavas, Chair of the MusiCares Foundation Board. "To honor him with this tribute is so fitting, and we certainly look forward to an exciting and extraordinary evening."
A Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Petty has won GRAMMYs for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for 1989 for Traveling Wilburys Volume One, a collaboration with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison; Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for 1995 for "You Don't Know How It Feels"; and Best Long Form Music Video for 2008 for the documentary Runnin' Down A Dream. In each of his five decades as a recording artist, Petty has charted albums in the Top 5 on the Billboard 200. His most recent recording with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, 2014's Hypnotic Eye, entered at No. 1.
The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The celebration culminates with the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
