Peter Gabriel is the latest musician to be honoured as a BMI Icon at the U.S. performing right organization's annual London Awards. is a United States-based performing right organization that collects and distributes monies for public performance of music in the U.S., including on radio, TV and Internet.
The Icon Award is given to songwriters who have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers," past winners include Van Morrison, James Brown and Paul Simon.
As well as producing some 11 albums and composing soundtracks, Peter Gabriel has worked to promote human rights, most recently founding world human rights advocacy supergroup TheElders.org in July 2007, with Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela.