For his devotion and dedication to so many, including the JDRF, music mogul Jon Platt today was presented the 2018 Spirit of Life Award.

“We are thrilled for Jon, whose family has helped advance several important projects both at JDRF and so many other organizations as well,” said JDRF President and CEO Derek Rapp. “They are a family that gives of themselves to help others. We are grateful for his and his family’s friendship and send our warmest congratulations.”

The Spirit of Life award is presented annually by the City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. The Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s highest honor, and each year recognizes a philanthropic leader whose work has fundamentally impacted music, film or entertainment. The award is one of the most prestigious in the music industry, having been given to such noted figures as Mo Ostin, Clive Davis, Quincy Jones, Frances W. Preston, Shelli and Irving Azoff, Edgar Bronfman Jr., Doug Morris and Sir Lucian Grainge.

Platt is chairman and chief executive officer of Warner/Chappell Music, the longest-standing major music publishing company in the world, as well as a member of Warner Music Group’s board of directors. He has championed everyone from JAY-Z to Beyoncé, from Kanye West to Drake, from Usher to Rihanna, and from Brandy to Janet Jackson.

Platt’s family actively supports JDRF, with his wife, Angie, serving on the JDRF Los Angeles Chapter Board of Directors and the International board of directors. Platt also has served as vice chairman of the board of directors for the MusiCares Foundation and sits on the boards of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, the Motown Museum and the Living Legends Foundation. In 2005, he launched the Big Jon Platt Scholarship Program, annually awarding three high school students from his hometown with college scholarships.

Platt said: “Many of us have been affected by the diseases and disorders that City of Hope is striving to cure, which makes this cause both personal and universal. Being chosen to receive this award is a great honor.”