Five-time Grammy Award-winner Mariah Carey will be honored as the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year all-star fundraising concert on Jan. 30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event will be held two days before the 68th annual Grammy Awards takes place Feb. 1 at the adjacent Crypto.com Arena.

Carey is being honored for “her extraordinary creative accomplishments and her long-standing dedication to helping communities and people in need” by MusiCares, a branch of the Recording Academy, under whose auspices the Grammy Awards are also presented. The lineup of performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Since its debut in 1989, when David Crosby was honored, MusiCares has raised more than $100 million to provide assistance to musicians and other music-industry workers facing financial, medical and personal hardships, including addiction recovery and disaster relief.

Carey, 56, is the first woman artist to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year since Joni Mitchell in 2022.

“We are honored to recognize Mariah Carey as this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year, a true creative force and once-in-a-generation talent,” said Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. in a statement released Tuesday morning. “Her artistry and her voice have helped shape the sound of our times. We look forward to celebrating her remarkable career on this very special night.”

Those sentiments were seconded by MusiCares Executive Director Theresa Wolters.

“Mariah Carey’s influence extends far beyond her remarkable artistry,” Wolters said. “She has used her platform consistently to provide tangible support to communities, whether through disaster relief, youth empowerment, or programs that help those facing barriers to opportunity.

“Her work exemplifies the values at the heart of MusiCares: creating systems of care that lift people up and ensure music professionals and communities can thrive. Honoring her as Person of the Year celebrates both her incredible musical legacy and her dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”

Last year’s MusiCares honorees were Rock & Roll Hall of Famers the Grateful Dead.

Carey has been on the ballot for the hall for the past two years but has yet to earn enough votes for induction. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022. She has written or co-written 18 of her 19 Billboard No. 1 hit singles.

Tickets for MusiCares are are now on sale at give.musicares.org/event/2026-person-of-the-year/e715874.

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