U2 star to be knighted But Bono won't be called 'Sir' U2 singer
Bono is to be knighted by the Queen in the New Year.
The frontman will be honoured for his humanitarian work and his services to the music industry, which included organising
Live 8 with
Bob Geldof in 2005.
The 46-year-old will receive the award at a ceremony to be conducted by British ambassador
David Reddaway in Dublin.
Despite receiving the honour, he will not be awarded with the title of "Sir" because he is not a British national.
Previous non-British recipients include
Bill Gates,
Placido Domingo,
Rudolf Giuliani,
Steven Spielberg and
Simon Wiesenthal
According to
U2's official website,
Bono, who has lobbied Western leaders to increase aid to developing countries and cancel Third World debt, is "very flattered" to receive the honour.
Tony Blair has also sent the
U2 singer a letter congratulating him on his knighthood, reports
BBC News.
Mr Blair wrote: "I want personally to thank you for the invaluable role you played in the run-up to the
Gleneagles G8 summit. Without your personal contribution, we could not have achieved the results we did.
"So thank you and I look forward to continuing to work together to maintain momentum on Africa, and ensure leaders around the world meet the promises they have made."
In 2003
Bono was presented with the
Legion D'Honneur by President
Jacques Chirac for his contribution to music and his campaign work.
The
U2 singer was also awarded the
Time Person Of The Year 2005, along with
Bill and
Melinda Gates in recognition of his work promoting justice and equality.