U2 have been chosen as the next Academy Fellow of The Ivors Academy, the U.K. organization that presents The Ivor Novello Awards to celebrate excellence in British and Irish songwriting.
The band — Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. — are the first-ever Irish songwriters to earn a fellowship, the highest honor handed out by the Ivors.
“We were a band before we could play, let alone write songs. … In fact it was our inability to play other people’s songs that kicked off our own songwriting,” Bono shared. “Early musical heroes like the Ramones, Patti Smith, The Clash were our inspiration. There’s alchemy at play, turning base metals into gold … your s**** into gold would be another way of putting it.”
“To be recognized in this way by The Ivors Academy feels very special indeed,” Clayton added. “The appreciation of one’s peers is a humbling honor and we are immensely grateful.”
Mullen also shared he was “very grateful” to the Ivors for recognizing them, while The Edge noted, “Songs are kind of magic. The best ones feel like gifts from some other dimension, but to catch them you have to make yourself available. I’m not sure songs can change the world but they sure have changed mine.”
Last year Bruce Springsteen received the honor, becoming the first international songwriter to be chosen as a Fellow. Other recipients include Sting, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Elton John and Peter Gabriel.
U2 will be presented with their honor at The Ivors on May 22 in London. Nominees for the Ivor Novello Awards will be announced on April 23.
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