Legendary singer-songwriter and eight-time Grammy-winner Joni Mitchell will be honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year, the Recording Academy announced on Wednesday. She will be the honoree during the 31st annual Person of the Year benefit gala, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday, January 29, 2022, two nights before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. Proceeds from the event will provide support for MusiCares, which has distributed dozens of millions of dollars in relief to members of the music community since it was formed in 1989 — and nearly $30 million in pandemic relief.
“I’m honored to be chosen as person of the year by this great charity,” said Mitchell. “I look forward to being part of this gala that will help MusiCares continue their inspired work in providing a support system for those in need.”
“We are so excited to bring together an amazing line-up of artists to celebrate the musical legacy of Joni Mitchell,” said Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares. “She is being honored not only for her iconic music and lyrics, but for her trailblazing spirit and the inspiration she’s brought to so many artists.”
The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony includes a reception and silent auction, offering an exclusive selection of one-of-a-kind items for bidding guests, followed by a dinner and tribute concert, featuring renowned musicians and other artists paying tribute to Mitchell. Recent MusiCares Person of the Year honorees include Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton and most recently, 2020 honorees Aerosmith. (The ceremony was not held last year, due to the pandemic.) While the honoree often performs during the tribute, that seems unlikely in Mitchell’s case, as she suffered a stroke in 2015, however there’s no shortage of talented fans: Brandi Carlile has performed Mitchell’s 1971 “Blue” album in full in Los Angeles in 2019 and is scheduled to do so again at New York’s Carnegie Hall in November, and we saw Stevie Wonder do a stunning solo version of Mitchell’s “Woodstock” during a tribute to her at ASCAP’s Pop Awards in 1998.
The MusiCares announcement notes, “The safety of our honorees, guests, performers, and staff is our first priority. The event will follow all necessary COVID-19 precautions, safety guidelines and requirements set forth by health officials.” The event will be produced by the newly formed live event broadcast outfit Lewis & Clark, made up of Joe Lewis and RAC Clark.
Tables for the event will be available for purchase on September 8, 2021, 10 a.m. PT at http://www.musicares.org/person-year. For more information about MusiCares Person of the Year, see www.musicares.org
