Jermaine Dupri praises Mariah Carey at 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet
At the 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet, Jermaine Dupri reflects on Mariah Carey’s legacy and what drives him as a producer.
Eternal songbird Mariah Carey has landed another career accolade as the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year.
The 35th annual benefit gala and tribute concert will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center Jan. 30, two nights before the 68th annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena. The list of performers who will honor Carey with renditions of her songs will be announced closer to the event.
Carey, 56, will be the youngest person to receive the designation since Sting at age 52 in 2004. Her coronation comes a month after receiving the MTV Video Vanguard Award and releasing her 16th studio album, “Here for it All.”
While she’s regarded for her multi-octave voice and 19 No. 1 hits including “Emotions,” “Someday,” “Vision of Love” and “Fantasy” as well as her perennial Christmas anthem “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Carey has also been active as a philanthropist with her work helping communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic. She also founded Camp Mariah in 1994 in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund to support underserved youth and champion initiatives advancing health, education and social welfare.
The five-time Grammy Award winner and 2024 Recording Academy Global Impact Award honoree has also used her success to elevate other female artists.
“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.”
MusiCares is the foundation arm of the Recording Academy, which produces the Grammys, that provides aid, including emergency financial assistance, medical expenses, addiction recovery, disaster relief and treatment for critical illnesses to members of the music community.
Since 1991, the Person of the Year gala has raised funds to support those programs.
Recent honorees include Jon Bon Jovi, Joni Mitchell, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson and last year’s recipient, the Grateful Dead. Tables and tickets for the event are available for purchase at personoftheyear.musicares.org.