Grateful Dead to Be Saluted at 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year Gala

UPDATE (Oct. 25): The death of Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh on Friday (Oct. 25), just two days after the band was announced as the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year, was shocking news. The band will still be saluted at the MusiCares gala on Jan. 31, but now two of its founding members, rather than just one (the late Jerry Garcia), will be honored posthumously.

Laura Segura, MusiCares executive director, shared this statement on Friday: “MusiCares mourns the loss of Phil Lesh. As a legendary bassist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, Phil’s distinctive contributions to music, advocacy, and philanthropy leave an enduring impact. 

“Phil will be reverently honored with his Grateful Dead bandmates as our 2025 Persons of the Year, commemorating their journey that transcends music and fosters a profound sense of unity and generosity. This tribute stands as a testament to Phil’s remarkable legacy, commitment to creating community, and unwavering dedication to causes close to his heart, including his Unbroken Chain Foundation and MusiCares. 

“Phil will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his loved ones and the Grateful Dead community.”

PREVIOUSLY (Oct. 23): What a long strange trip it’s been, indeed.

Grateful Dead, a band that was never even nominated for a Grammy, and which became one of the most legendary live acts in history despite having a grand total of one top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, will honored as the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year. The 34th annual Persons of the Year benefit gala will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, two nights before the 67th annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena.

Grateful Dead is the third band to receive the honor, following Fleetwood Mac in 2018 and Aerosmith in 2020. Marking the band’s 60th anniversary in 2025, original members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir will be recognized for their contributions to music, their philanthropic efforts and their pioneering role in fostering communities through their concerts and activism. The event will also include posthumous tributes to Jerry Garcia, one of the band’s founders, who died in 1995 at age 53.

Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh and Weir released an extended joint statement about the honor. Here it is, in full:

“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.

“While we can’t prove that the Muse—the force behind what we do—is working to build a support system for the show, over sixty years in music has taught us that it takes a lot of dedicated people to bring everything to life. Each person behind the scenes has honed their skills to meet the many needs of the show. Without them, it wouldn’t be what the Muse intends, and each of them is essential, pouring their hearts and spirits into it.

“We also want to recognize the community of Dead Heads for their unwavering support over the years—we wouldn’t be here without you.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized as MusiCares Persons of the Year. This honor is truly 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. We’re grateful to stand with MusiCares and hope everyone continues to support this vital mission to ensure music thrives in perpetuity.”

Formed in 1965, Grateful Dead is one of the most influential bands in American history, renowned for their distinctive blend of rock, folk, jazz and avant-garde music. In December, the month before the MusiCares honor, Grateful Dead will be included in the 47th class of the Kennedy Center Honorees, alongside Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval, Francis Ford Coppola and the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The Dead’s final tally of 2,318 concerts remains a world record. An album recorded at their Barton Hall Concert at Cornell University in 1977 was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2011.

As noted, the band never received a Grammy nomination, but it has two recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame: their back-to-back 1970 studio albums Workingman’s Dead (1970) and American Beauty. The band also received the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

The Dead was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the year before Garcia died.

The band has made the Billboard 200 with a staggering 124 titles. The highest-charting was its 1987 Arista album In the Dark, which reached No. 6. That album also spawned the band’s only top 10 hit on the Hot 100, “Touch of Grey.” (The band’s signature song, “Truckin’,” was its second-highest single, reaching No. 64 in 1971.)

In February, the band broke the record for most top 40-charting albums on the Billboard 200 since the chart began publishing on a regular weekly basis in March 1956. It has since added two more top 40 albums, for a record-extending total of 61.

The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during Grammy Week. It includes a cocktail reception, followed by a dinner and tribute concert.

Since its inception in 1991, the Person of the Year gala has raised funds to support MusiCares’ 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.

Five-time Grammy winner Don Was will serve as musical director for the event. The gala will again be produced by live event broadcast outfit Lewis & Clark, comprised of Joe Lewis and R.A. Clark. They also oversaw last year’s gala honoring Jon Bon Jovi. AEG is the event’s principal sponsor.

“MusiCares is proud to honor the Grateful Dead at the 2025 Persons of the Year Gala,” Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said in a statement. “Their 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.”

Beyond their musical achievements, Grateful Dead members have made significant contributions to philanthropic causes. Garcia, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, and Weir have all supported efforts ranging from environmental conservation and mental health to music education and social justice. Initiatives like Garcia’s involvement with the Rex Foundation, Hart’s work in music therapy and brain health, Weir’s advocacy for addressing climate change and combating poverty, Kreutzmann’s ocean conservation efforts, and Lesh’s Unbroken Chain Foundation underscore the band’s commitment to making a difference beyond the stage.

Tables and tickets are available for purchase at http://personoftheyear.musicares.org/. For more information about the event or sponsorship opportunities, visit MusiCares.org or email personoftheyear@musicares.org.