Berklee College of Music will present honorary Doctor of Music degrees to global superstars and Grammy Award–winning artists André 3000 and Sara Bareilles at its 2025 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, at 10:00 a.m. at Boston University’s Agganis Arena.

Commencement festivities will begin on the evening of Friday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. with a reception and concert at Agganis Arena. The concert will feature a global cast of over 200 student vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, arrangers, and track producers from the graduating class, who will perform a musical tribute to the work of each of the honorees.

This year’s honorary doctorate recipients will be celebrated and recognized for their invaluable contributions to the worlds of music and philanthropy. Past recipients from the college include Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones ’51, Celine Dion, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, esperanza spalding BM ’05, Usher, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Ringo Starr, Tito Puente, Gloria Estefan, Roberta Flack, Juan Luis Guerra ’82, Rita Moreno, Ledisi, Q-Tip, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and John Legend.

André Benjamin—best known as André 3000—is one of the most revered, celebrated artists of the last three decades, an auteur whose work in music, film, fine arts, fashion, and more continues to influence the cultural landscape on a global scale. His work as one half of the iconic hip-hop duo Outkast, with Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, established a brand new voice and style within rap that had never been experienced before.

In 2023, the nine-time Grammy Award–winning artist released his first solo album in 20 years, New Blue Sun, a wind-focused instrumental album that represents the next step in Benjamin’s creative evolution. Released to widespread critical acclaim, New Blue Sun became the first instrumental album to land on the Billboard 200 Chart, and the opening track, “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time,” broke the record for longest song to debut on the Billboard Hot 100. New Blue Sun was nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2025, including Album of the Year. Benjamin was recently announced as a 2025 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.