Jon Bon Jovi Is Named MusiCares 2024 Person Of The Year

Jon Bon Jovi will be celebrated as MusiCares Person of the Year at the music charity’s annual benefit gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center Feb. 2, two nights before the Grammy Awards take place next door at Crypto.com Arena.

MusiCares annually recognizes artists who have made meaningful impacts in the world through philanthropy and Jon Bon Jovi certainly fits the bill as the organization’s 33rd honoree.

He established the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in 2006, dedicated to disrupting the cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness by developing partnerships, creating programs and providing grant funding to support community benefit organizations, with a mission of “rebuilding pride in one’s self and one’s community – one soul at a time.”

Since forming, JBJSF has provided more than 700 units of affordable and supportive housing in 11 states. Adding to these efforts is the recently opened Walter Reed veterans housing facility which opened in October 2019, giving homes to 77 previously homeless veterans along with a stable of support services on site.

He and his wife, Dorthea, established JBJ Soul Kitchen in 2011 in Red Bank, N.J., offering farm-to-table dishes in a restaurant atmosphere where guests can volunteer in exchange for a meal or make a suggested donation of $20. A second location opened in Toms River, N.J., and the foundation collected funds to build a new vestibule to keep guests warm during the winter. In January 2020, the JBJ Soul Foundation opened a first of its kind kitchen on the Newark campus of Rutgers University to serve college students challenged by food insecurity.

“I’m truly humbled to be this year’s MusiCares honoree,” Bon Jovi says in a statement. “MusiCares’ work with music professionals is vitally important in creating much needed support and wellness programs that cultivate a healthier and more vibrant community for us all. Philanthropic work has been a cornerstone of my life and has always run in tandem to my music career and achievements. Nearly two decades ago when I formed the JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchens, I saw firsthand and continue to see today the impact of charitable community-based work. I know this for sure: helping one’s community is helping one’s self.”

Proceeds from the gala will provide essential support for MusiCares, the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, preventive clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief.
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The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during Grammy Week and includes a cocktail reception followed by a dinner and tribute concert, featuring renowned musicians and other artists paying tribute to Jon Bon Jovi.

“MusiCares is thrilled to honor Jon Bon Jovi at the 2024 Person of the Year Gala,” said Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares. “His remarkable contributions to rock and roll have not only left an indelible mark on the music industry, but also in the hearts of countless fans around the world. Furthermore, his long-standing commitment to serving food-insecure and unhoused individuals inspires us all. We’re looking forward to celebrating him and the many ways he has made a difference in this world.”

Jon Bon Jovi, of course, leads his namesake, Grammy-winning band Bon Jovi, for which he has not only written and performed countless rock anthems, but utilized his platform to raise millions of dollars to aid the working poor, the homeless, and the hungry.

After selling more than 130 million albums and performing in over 50 countries for more than 40 million fans, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of their longevity and impact on popular music for the past three decades. Jon is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Jon Bon Jovi joins an impressive list of recent MusiCares honorees including Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, and Dolly Parton.

Tables and tickets are available for purchase at the event website. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please visit the MusiCares website or email [email protected].