MusiCares® has named five-time GRAMMY® winner and 2024 Recording Academy® Global Impact Award honoree Mariah Carey as the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year. Carey, one of the most celebrated voices in music, will be honored for her extraordinary career as well as her long-standing commitment to supporting communities and people in need. The 35th annual Person of the Year benefit gala will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, two nights before the 2026 GRAMMY Awards® at Crypto.com Arena.

“Mariah Carey’s influence extends far beyond her remarkable artistry,” said Theresa Wolters, Executive Director of MusiCares. “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.”

Over a career of more than three decades, Carey has captivated audiences worldwide with her signature voice, record-breaking achievements and creative innovation. Her courage, vision and authenticity have made her a trailblazer for women across generations, inspiring countless artists who see her as proof of what’s possible when talent and perseverance meet purpose. Beyond her music, Carey has remained deeply committed to helping others, providing relief for communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic. She founded Camp Mariah in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund to support underserved youth and has championed initiatives advancing health, education and social welfare, reflecting a lifelong commitment to giving back.

“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 Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. “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.”

The MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony is one of the most anticipated events of GRAMMY Week. The evening features a cocktail reception, dinner and a tribute concert with performances by renowned artists celebrating Carey’s musical achievements and philanthropic contributions.

Since 1991, the Person of the Year gala has raised funds to support MusiCares’ programs, including health and wellness services, addiction recovery, preventive care, disaster relief, and emergency support for music professionals. Carey joins a distinguished list of MusiCares honorees including the Grateful Dead, Jon Bon Jovi, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, and Joni Mitchell, representing a legacy of immense talent spanning generations.

The event will again be produced by live event broadcast outfit Lewis & Clark, made up of Joe Lewis and R.A. Clark.

ABOUT MUSICARES

MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy® in 1989 as a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts.

ABOUT MARIAH CAREY

Mariah Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles (18 self-penned), more than any solo artist in history. Her memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. A two-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominee and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Carey is a multi-hyphenate singer, songwriter, and producer who has been recognized with five Grammy Awards (and 34 nominations), ten American Music Awards (and 39 nominations), three Guinness World Record titles, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award, Billboard’s “Icon Award,” the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium,” the Ivor Novello Award for “PRS for Music Special International Award,” and BMI’s “Icon Award” for her outstanding achievements in songwriting, to name a few. As the globally recognized “Queen Of Christmas,” Carey’s beloved 1994 yuletide hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become one of the longest-charting singles in any genre, spending 65 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. In 2015, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2023, Carey became one of the first 13 recipients of the BRIT Billion Award for surpassing one billion streams in the United Kingdom.

Most recently, Mariah dropped her highly anticipated 16th studio album Here For It All, her first in 7 years, which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. The album was met with instant praise, maintaining her 35-year streak of landing her new projects in the Billboard 200’s top 10. Here For It All took the No. 1 spot on Billboard for Top Album Sales, Top Current Album Sales, Top R&B Albums and Independent Albums, who called the album “eclectic, free-wheeling” and “Carey’s ultimate love letter to herself.” 

ABOUT LEWIS & CLARK

The live broadcast production outfit, Lewis & Clark, brings together Joe Lewis, founder of the Joe Lewis Company (JLC), and R.A. Clark, president and Emmy-nominated executive producer of Lion’s Heart Entertainment. As a team, the two have overseen thousands of hours of live television programming and thousands of live consumer and fan-facing events including 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year honoring The Grateful Dead, the Academy Awards Pre-Show, the GRAMMYs®, The Academy of Country Music Awards and all NFL tentpoles to include the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, Pro Bowl, and NFL Kick-Off Concert.