Barbra Streisand will be honored as the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year at its 21st annual benefit gala.
Proceeds from the dinner and concert honoring Streisand — to be held in Los Angeles during GRAMMY Week on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, two days prior to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards — will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.
The legendary artist is being honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year in recognition of her renowned creative accomplishments as well as her philanthropic work, which has included an extraordinary range of charitable activities over the years.
“Barbra Streisand is a genuine Renaissance woman, someone for whom artistry and philanthropy go hand in hand,” said Neil Portnow, president of the MusiCares Foundation. “The enormous talent, passion and dedication she brings to her creative projects — whether film, television or music — are matched by the generosity and commitment she devotes to her charitable causes. It is fitting to celebrate the incredible legacy of Barbra at our 21st Annual MusiCares Person of the Year tribute.”
“For me, being able to create is both a gift and a responsibility, and I have seen firsthand the power of philanthropy to make the world a safer, healthier and more peaceful place,” said Streisand. “It is an honor to be recognized as the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year. I have so much respect for the work they do to create a lifeline of resources — whether it’s emergency financial assistance or access to addiction recovery resources — for music people in times of need.”
The 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year gala will begin with a reception and silent auction offering an exclusive and unparalleled selection of luxury items, VIP experiences and one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The reception and silent auction will be followed by a dinner, the award presentation and a star-studded tribute concert. The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The celebration culminates with the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Barbra Streisand’s career has been marked by bold creative achievements and highlighted by a series of firsts. An unparalleled talent, Streisand is the only artist ever to receive Oscar, Tony, Emmy, GRAMMY, Directors Guild of America, Golden Globe, National Medal of Arts, and Peabody awards, as well as France’s Legion d’honneur and the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also the first female film director to receive the Kennedy Center Honors.
Streisand is the only performer to have a No. 1 album in five consecutive decades. She has earned 51 gold, 30 platinum and 18 multi-platinum albums, each of which exceeds all other female singers, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA also notes that her 71.5 million album sales top the RIAA list of album sales by a female singer. With the debut of Love Is The Answer at No. 1 in 2009, the time span between her first and most recent No. 1 albums is 46 years — exceeding that of any other performer or act.
Her civil rights activism and philanthropic pursuits are just as impressive. The Streisand Foundation has given millions of dollars through 2,100 grants to nonprofit organizations and she has raised many millions more through her performances. Streisand supports an impressive range of causes from AIDS organizations to nonprofits that work on issues of women’s equality, the protection of both human rights and civil rights, the needs of children at risk in society, the preservation of the environment, Jewish/Arab relations, and relations between African-Americans and Jews.
For information on purchasing tables and tickets to the event, please contact Dana Tomarken at MusiCares, 310.392.3777.
