U2 lead singer Bono has been awarded the 2021 Fulbright Prize for International Understanding.
The organisation said the band's frontman was being recognised for his work on the ONE anti-poverty campaign, which he co-founded.
The chair of the Fulbright Association board, Cynthia Ackron Baldwin, was among those taking to the stage to praise the singer as he received the prize at a ceremony in Washington DC last night.
She said Bono would donate his $50,000 prize to his One charity and Red, another organisation he co-founded that works with well known corporate brands to try and eliminate HIV/Aids in Africa.
During his acceptance speech, Bono paid tribute to the people of Ukraine, whose resistance to Russia's invasion he described as "humbling heroism".
"When we hear President Zelensky speaking, or when you look at the humbling heroism of the people of Kiev for Lviv or Maripol, there's a part of me that feels they more European than me.
"Because they are actually living - actually dying - for the ideal that is freedom. They're fighting for our freedom too."
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Bono said "Putin thinks democracy is done - he is done. He is like a bad Bond villain."
He also told the audience that Ireland in the 1970s was "a bit grim" and "an insular place" with a "big crush on America".
"We knew America was not living up to all its ideals but it had ideals - you cited them, they shaped the struggle for civil rights, women's rights and gay rights."
Bono was introduced at the ceremony by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, whom he described as "Madame Director General of the WTO introducing the Director General of the WTF".
Past recipients of the Fullbright award include Nelson Mandela, Bill and Melinda Gates, Desmond Tutu, US President Bill Clinton, and Chancellor Angela Merkel.
