Bono and Denzel Washington awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom at White House

The US Presidential Medal of Freedom has been formally given to U2 frontman Bono and actor Denzel Washington.

US President Joe Biden presented the highest American civilian honour to Bono, real name Paul David Hewson, on Saturday at the White House along with a total of 19 people from across politics, sports, entertainment and other fields.

The awards are given for “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours”.

Bono, known for campaigning against poverty and supporting those with HIV/Aids, wore a simple black suit and sunglasses as President Biden placed the medal on him.

He also greeted celebrity chef Jose Andres, who founded the Washington-based World Central Kitchen disaster relief group.

On X, U2’s account said: “Thank you President Biden. Frontmen don’t do humble, but today I was.

“Rock n roll gave me my freedom… and with it the privilege to work alongside those who’ve had to fight so much harder for theirs.

“And I want to give it up for my band mates – (The) Edge, Adam (Clayton), and Larry (Mullen Jr) – without whom I would never have found my voice.”

Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour, 75, and Dame Jane Goodall, 90, who is regarded as the world’s foremost authority on chimpanzees, also attended the event, where they were both given medals.

Back To The Future actor and Parkinson’s campaigner Michael J Fox, US politician Hillary Clinton and Argentine footballer Lionel Messi were also given the honour.

Messi did not attend.

“For the final time as president I have the honour bestowing the Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honour, on a group of extraordinary, truly extraordinary people, who gave their sacred effort, their sacred effort, to shape the culture and the cause of America,” Mr Biden said.

“Let me just say to each of you, thank you, thank you, thank you for all you’ve done to help this country.”

Last year, he gave the medals to Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, and US politician Nancy Pelosi.

Bono has already received the highest cultural honour of France, the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, in 2013, and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2005 and was awarded an honorary British knighthood in 2007.

The 64-year-old’s band has recently been holding a residency at a high-tech new immersive venue in Las Vegas called the Sphere, which boasts 168,000 square feet of high-definition LEDs, 167,000 speakers and 17,000 seats.

The acclaimed rockers have released a host of albums over the years, the most recent being Songs Of Surrender which featured reimagined recordings from their back catalogue.