Tom Petty will be honored as the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year during Grammy Week next year, it was announced today.
“A three-time Grammy winner, Petty is being honored as the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year 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,” said a statement issued by Neil Portnow, President and CEO of the MusiCares Foundation and The Recording Academy, and Alexandra Patsavas, Chair of the MusiCares Foundation Board.
“Widely recognized by a younger generation of musicians as an example of what an engaged artist can accomplish in his field and beyond, Petty has come to represent the lasting possibilities of rock and roll.”
The MusiCares Foundation offers programs and services to members of the music community in financial need, including emergency financial assistance for basic living expenses and medical expenses.
“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.”
The 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year gala, where Petty will be honored, will take place Feb. 10 and include a reception, a silent auction, a banquet and a concert. The 59th Annual Grammy Awards will follow two days later at Staples Center and will be aired at 8 p.m. on CBS.
