LONDON — U2 has become the first Irish group to be named Ivors Academy Fellows, the highest honor presented by the organization known for its annual Ivor Novello Awards. The honor will be bestowed at The Ivors with Amazon Music event on Thursday, May 22, at Grosvenor House in London. The nominees for this year’s Ivor Novello Awards will be announced on Wednesday, April 23.
With U2’s inclusion, the number of Ivors Academy Fellows rises to 32. The band members—Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.—are counted as four individuals. The Bee Gees, the first group to receive the honor, is counted as three individuals: Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb. Most of the fellows are from Britain, but the list also features American composer John Adams, American musician Bruce Springsteen, and French composer Pierre Boulez.
U2, formed in Dublin in 1978, is considered one of the most influential bands in music history. The band boasts eight No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. They are the only band to have a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 across four consecutive decades from the 1980s to the 2010s.
The band has won 22 Grammy Awards, the most for any group, including four songwriting awards: two for song of the year (“Beautiful Day” and “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own”) and two for best rock song (“Vertigo” and “City of Blinding Lights”). U2 also received two Oscar nominations for best original song for “The Hands That Built America” (Gangs of New York) and “Ordinary Love” (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom).
U2 has previously won four Ivor Novello Awards: the Special Award for International Achievement in 1994, Best Song Musically and Lyrically for “Walk On” in 2002, Outstanding Song Collection in 2003, and International Hit of the Year for “Vertigo” in 2005.
Adam Clayton, U2’s bassist, said, “To be recognized in this way by The Ivors Academy feels very special indeed. The appreciation of one’s peers is a humbling honor, and we are immensely grateful. We’ve been playing our songs in this country for over 45 years.”
Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. added, “Making music collectively for close to 50 years has been an incredible experience for us. It’s a testament to a band that values individual creativity and independence of mind. We are grateful to The Ivors Academy for recognizing us with this award.”
Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, said, “U2’s induction into Fellowship honors their seminal contributions to music through exceptional songwriting craft.”
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, stated, “We are proud to welcome U2 to the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy as era-defining songwriters whose legacy continues to propel musical innovation and inspire social progress.”
U2’s accolades also include the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022 and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award.
Here is the full list of Ivors Academy Fellows:
– 2000: Paul McCartney
– 2001: Sir Malcolm Arnold CBE, John Barry OBE
– 2004: John Adams, Sir Elton John
– 2005: David Arnold, Pierre Boulez CBE, Sir John Dankworth CBE, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE
– 2006: Sir Barry Gibb CBE, Maurice Gibb CBE, Robin Gibb CBE
– 2007: George Fenton
– 2009: Don Black OBE, David Ferguson
– 2010: Sir Tim Rice
– 2012: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber
– 2015: Annie Lennox OBE
– 2020: Joan Armatrading CBE, Julian Joseph OBE
– 2021: Kate Bush CBE
– 2022: Peter Gabriel, Judith Weir CBE
– 2023: John Rutter CBE, Sting
– 2024: Sir James Macmillan, Bruce Springsteen, Errollyn Wallen
– 2025: Bono (Paul Hewson), Adam Clayton, The Edge (Dave Evans), Larry Mullen Jr.
