American Music Honors to Celebrate Warwick, Smith, Dr. Dre, and More
The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University will honor a diverse range of iconic artists at its fourth annual American Music Honors event on . This year’s honorees include Dionne Warwick, Patti Smith, Dr. Dre, The E Street Band, and The Doors, with a special posthumous tribute planned for The Band.
The event, to be held at the Pollak Theatre in West Long Branch, New Jersey, will be hosted by journalist and longtime Bruce Springsteen fan, Brian Williams. Guitarist Steven Van Zandt’s Disciples of Soul will return for a fourth consecutive year as the house band, providing the musical backdrop for the evening’s celebrations.
Bruce Springsteen himself will take the stage to present honors to both Dionne Warwick and Patti Smith. Smith, known for her breakthrough 1978 cover of Springsteen’s “Because the Night,” will be recognized alongside the legendary Warwick. Longtime Springsteen manager Jon Landau will present the honor to The E Street Band. Producer Jimmy Iovine will fete Dr. Dre, and Van Zandt will salute The Doors.
According to founding director Robert Santelli, “The artists we’re honoring this year didn’t just shape popular music — they helped define it.” He further emphasized that their work embodies “the creativity, risk-taking and cultural exchange that sit at the heart of American music, and it’s a privilege to celebrate their legacies.”
The American Music Honors event began in 2023, previously recognizing artists such as Darlene Love, Mavis Staples, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Emmylou Harris, and Tom Morello. The event aims to not only preserve artifacts related to Springsteen’s career but also to produce exhibitions and programs that celebrate American music in all its forms.
Tickets for the fourth annual American Music Honors will go on sale on at noon, available through springsteencenter.org/american-music-honors-2026. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Springsteen Center’s ongoing mission.
