Here's who's getting President Joe Biden's final Medals of Freedom

Recipients include Bono, Anna Wintour, Denzel Washington, and more.

By Mary Kate Carr | January 4, 2025 | 12:51pm

Screenshot: CSPAN/YouTube

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Here's who's getting President Joe Biden's final Medals of Freedom

President Joe Biden has handed out a lot of Medals of Freedom. After this next and final round, he’ll have doled out a total of 56, the most ever bestowed in a single presidential term, per Entertainment Weekly. On Saturday, the White House announced Biden’s last recipients of the prestigious honor, which include U2 frontman Bono, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, ex-senator and former presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, and Denzel Washington, who was supposed to get his in 2022 but had to defer after contracting COVID.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the United States’ highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.” In a statement (via EW), the White House said, “President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else. 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.”