On May 22, 2025, the frontman for the band U2, Bono, spoke out against Israeli leadership at the Ivor Novello Award’s Highest Honor. That day, the musician Brian Eno had also called out the Microsoft company for cutting ties with Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians. According to an article by Stereogum, Eno had also pledged to donate the same amount as the fee that Microsoft paid him for composing the Windows ‘95 start-up chime to the victims of the genocide in Gaza. Bono, however, took more of a both-sides approach at the awards but still criticized Hamas.

The rock band attended the annual show which is for the recognition of songwriters. They received the highest honor, the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, which gave Bono the opportunity to tell Hamas to release their hostages and to stop the war. He also used his time to tell Israel to be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists. Before announcing and introducing an acoustic performance of “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” he took the time to give people his message. 

“I used to introduce this next song by saying it wasn’t a rebel song,” said Bono. “It was because believing in the possibilities of peace was then, and is now, a rebellious act, and some would say a ridiculous one. To believe peace was attainable between your country and ours, between our country and itself, was a ridiculous idea because peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations, and lord knows there’s a few of them out there right now. Hamas, release the hostages, stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts. All of you, protect our aid workers. They are the best of us. God, you must be so tired of us, children of Abraham, in the rubble of our certainties. Children in the rubble of our revenge. God forgive us.”

Watch Bono at the award show.