Following on from his appearance at last weekend’s World AIDS Day concert in South Africa, Bono’s humanitarian work will be honoured at a dinner hosted by Martin Luther King’s family.

The occasion is the King Centre Salute To Greatness Awards ceremony, which takes place in Atlanta in January.

Speaking of the forthcoming event, Coretta Scott King, Martin’s widow and founder of the King Centre, said: "We are fortunate this year to honour Bono for exemplifying many of the qualities that my husband, Martin, indicated were imperative to moving our society into the beloved community of which he so often spoke."