Bono and Denzel Washington both received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House on January 4, 2025. Their timelines differed: Washington was announced as a recipient in 2022 but missed that year’s ceremony, while Bono was announced and honored in 2025.
When were Bono and Denzel Washington announced and honored?
President Joe Biden named Washington among 17 recipients in a July 1, 2022 announcement. Washington did not attend the July 7 ceremony. Biden said he would present the medal to him later. The American Presidency Project preserves both the 2022 announcement and a transcript of Biden’s remarks.
Bono was named among 19 recipients in the White House’s January 4, 2025 announcement. At a White House East Room ceremony that day, Bono and Washington were both presented with their medals, as reported by the Associated Press. The White House announcement and AP’s ceremony coverage document the 2025 recipients and presentation.
Why did Washington miss the 2022 ceremony?
At the July 7, 2022 ceremony, Biden explained that Washington could not be there and said: “He couldn’t be with us today, but I’m—I’ll be giving him this award at a later date when he’s able to get here.” The transcript records Biden’s explanation; it does not give a more specific reason for Washington’s absence.
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What is the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
The White House describes it as “the Nation’s highest civilian honor.” Its stated grounds include exemplary contributions to U.S. prosperity, values, or security; world peace; or other significant societal, public, or private endeavors. Those broad criteria do not mean every honoree is recognized for the same kind of work.
Why were Bono and Washington recognized?
Bono
The White House’s 2025 announcement describes Bono as U2’s frontman and an activist against AIDS and poverty. It credits him with bringing together politicians from opposing parties to help create the U.S. PEPFAR AIDS program and identifies him as a co-founder of the campaigning organizations ONE and (RED).
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Denzel Washington
The White House cites Washington’s work as an actor, director, and producer, noting his two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. It also notes that he served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for more than 25 years. These are the administration’s stated biographical reasons, not a complete account of his career.
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Washington’s inclusion in the 2022 announcement and his presentation in 2025 are separate milestones. A Congressional Research Service recipient list indexes him under 2022, which reflects the announcement or award year in that context—not the date he received the medal at a ceremony. Bono’s announcement and presentation both took place in 2025.
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