Peter Gabriel and Alanis Morissette will receive the Patrick Lippert Award at Rock the Vote's tenth annual Lippert Award event on February 22nd in New York City. The honor, named after Rock the Vote's first executive director who died of complications from AIDS a decade ago, recognizes artists who also serve as activists. R.E.M., Sting, Bono, LL Cool J and Dave Matthews are among previous honorees.

Gabriel was selected for his work with Amnesty International, Greenpeace and the Witness project, which he co-founded in 1992. The program supplies video cameras to other activists allowing them to document human rights abuses.

Morissette's charitable activism includes appearing at a number of benefit concerts, including the John Lennon tribute in New York that raised money and awareness for and on issues of gun control; Music Without Borders, which benefited the United Nations Donor Alert Appeal; and Groundwork to aid the Act to Reduce Hunger.

Public Enemy's Chuck D will receive the Rock the Vote Founders Award for his work with community service organizations and other advocacy groups.

The event is scheduled to coincide with Grammy week and will be held at the Roseland Ballroom. Tickets for the Patrick Lippert Awards are available to the public through (310) 491-1401 or blueroomevents.com/events. More information is available at rockthevote.org.

ANDREW DANSBY
(January 28, 2003)