U2 frontman Bono is awarded US Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden

U2 frontman Bono has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from American President Joe Biden.

This year’s Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded to 19 people, including cultural icons, politicians and campaigners.

They were chosen because they are “good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world,” the White House said.

Bono, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, has already received France’s highest cultural award and received an honorary knighthood.

Formed in Dublin in 1976, U2 consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

And outside of music, the Irish singer-songwriter is known for her campaign against poverty and supporting people with HIV/AIDS.

This year’s awards were presented at the White House on Saturday, January 4.

Biden will posthumously honor Robert F Kennedy, the former US attorney general and senator who was assassinated in 1968.

“President Biden believes that great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair chance, and put decency above all else,” the White House said.

“These nineteen Americans are great leaders who have made America a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”

Biden will also present awards to well-wishers who have been good to him.

Billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein will receive the honor — after letting the Bidens use his waterfront home in Nantucket every Thanksgiving the Democrat was in the White House.

Rubeinstein has also poured his millions into American cultural institutions: He helped strengthen the Washington Monument, tended the panda program at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and bought a copy of the Magna Carta that was up for auction.

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren will receive the award.

He designed granddaughter Naomi’s wedding dress for her wedding at the White House in November 2022.

Lauren is receiving the award, the White House said, for “impacting culture, business and philanthropy, particularly in the fight against cancer and preserving the Star-Spangled Banner.”

Anna Wintour – who oversaw a glamorous Vogue spread of the said White House wedding – is also on the list.

She has long been associated with Democratic causes and organized a fundraiser for Biden while he was still active in the 2024 campaign.

“A champion of philanthropic causes, she is also the lead architect behind the annual Met Gala fundraiser and Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast,” the White House said.

There are also a number of Hollywood types on the list.

Actor Denzel Washington will receive the award, as will U2 frontman Bono, who has done extensive work in the field of HIV/AIDS.

Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox — who actually supported Biden rival Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential bid — will also receive the award.

“He is a world-renowned advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and development,” the White House said.

Bill Nye the Science Guy will also receive the award, along with conservationist Dr. James Goodall.

From the world of athletics, football stars Lionel Messi and Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson will be honored.

Tim Gill will receive it for advancing LBGTQ rights.

Fannie Lou Hamer is posthumously honored for her civil rights work in the segregated South.

Co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors, George Stevens, Jr., will also receive the award from the President.

In addition, the late Secretary of Defense Ash Carter will be honored posthumously.

Biden memorably went viral for rubbing Stephanie Carter’s shoulders and whispering in her ear during a swearing-in ceremony for Ash Carter, picked to become President Barack Obama’s defense secretary.

She later vouched for Biden, saying she was not offending, saying the rubdown was a “means of offering his support.”