The appointment to 'Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' will be made by the British ambassador in a ceremony in Dublin shortly after New Year's Day.

The award was given to Bono in recognition of his services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work.

The singer said he was "very flattered" to be given the award, particularly if it opens doors for his long-standing campaigning work against extreme poverty in Africa.

As Bono is Irish, he is not entitled to the 'Sir' title, as a British national would be. This is the same rule that applied to Bob Geldof when he was knighted in 1986. It used to apply to Terry Wogan, until the presenter obtained dualcitizenship, allowing him to become Sir Terry.

This latest award is just one in a litany of honours to be bestowed upon the famous Irishman in recent years. In 2003, Bono was presented with the Légion d'Honneur by president Jacque Chirac for his contribution to music and his campaigning work. And last year, in recognition of his work promoting justice and equality, Bono was awarded Time magazine's person of the year 2005, along with Bill and Melinda Gates.

British honours are granted by the Queen, on advice from the British government. Other non-British recipients include Bill Gates, Rudolf Giuliani and Steven Spielberg.