Cat Stevens

Lifetime Achievement Award in Music

Presented by the International Peace Alliance | Alliance Internationale de la Paix (IPA-AIP) Singer-songwriter Mr. CatStevens is the recipient of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in Music, conferred by the International Peace Alliance | Alliance Internationale de la Paix (IPA-AIP). This honour celebrates a career that has shaped modern popular music, inspired generations with messages of peace and reflection, and extended far beyond the stage through decades of humanitarian service.

Born Steven Demetre Georgiou in London in 1948, Mr.Stevens burst onto the international scene in the early 1970s with landmark albums such as Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and Teaser and the Firecat (1971). Timeless songs including “Father and Son,” “Wild World,” “Morning Has Broken,” and “Peace Train” blended folk warmth with philosophical depth, earning him a place among the era’s most influential voices.

After achieving global stardom, Mr.Stevens embraced a new chapter, adopting the name Yusuf Islam in 1978 and dedicating himself to education, disaster relief, and interfaith dialogue. Through initiatives like Small Kindness, he has supported refugees and vulnerable children across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, underscoring his conviction that music and compassion share the same universal language.

Returning to recording and touring as Yusuf/CatStevens in 2006, he has continued to captivate audiences with new music (An Other Cup, The Laughing Apple, King of a Land) while revisiting classics that still resonate with calls for harmony and understanding.

Mr.Stevens’ contributions have been recognised worldwide:
• Inductee, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2014)
• Inductee, Songwriters Hall of Fame (2019)
• BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – Lifetime Achievement (2012)
• Ivor Novello and ASCAP songwriting honours
• World Social Award for Humanitarian Work (2003)

The Lifetime Achievement Award in Music will be formally presented at the Peace Ambassadors Awards Gala & Grand Ball, closing the 2025 International Peace Festival on 26 September 2025 at the iconic KingEdward Hotel, Toronto, Canada.


Mr.Stevens’ enduring artistry and unwavering commitment to peace embody the mission of the International Peace Alliance | Alliance Internationale de la Paix: proving that melody, conscience, and action together can help build a more compassionate world.