The Grateful Dead Named MusiCares 2025 Persons of the Year

The Grateful Dead are the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year. Original members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, and Bobby Weir, as well as the late bandleader Jerry Garcia, will be honored for their music and philanthropy with a tribute night at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, January 31, 2025, two days before the Grammy Awards.

The surviving band members said in a statement, “It’s simple: we all need music. It speaks to each of us, offering what we need to face what life presents—enhancing our joys, helping us spread them, and making our sorrows easier to bear. We can’t imagine a world without it. As our ol’ pal, Jerry, used to say, ‘You get some, you give some back,’ a tremendously effective way to share those benefits.”

The award, they added, is “a testament to the legacy of the music, which has always been bigger than us—it’s about the connection between us, the crew, and all those who’ve been on this long strange trip. It’s not just about what we create, but about making sure the people behind it, behind us every night, the ones who quietly make it all happen, get the support they need to keep going, no matter what life throws at them.”

Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said the band’s “legacy transcends music, having built a community of fans and collaborators that embody the spirit of connection and support, something that is deeply aligned with MusiCares’ mission. The band’s passion for the arts and philanthropy, along with their enduring commitment to social causes, has made a lasting impact that goes beyond the stage. It is a privilege to celebrate their contributions to both music and humanity.”

As ever, the festivities benefit what MusiCares describes as its “health and human services programs, which offer physical and mental health care, addiction recovery, preventive clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief to music professionals.” The 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year was Jon Bon Jovi.