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The Week In Music: William Shatner Beaming Into Hell?
William Shatner

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com

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The Week In Music: William Shatner Beaming Into Hell?

Shatner to go where no other "Star Trek" actor has gone before

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

Fresh off his 80th birthday, actor William Shatner is set to go where no other "Star Trek" actor has gone before: metal. Shatner will receive the Honorary Headbanger Award at the third annual Revolver Golden Gods awards on April 20 in Los Angeles. "Short of receiving an Emmy for my superb voice, the Honorary Headbanger Award is the next best thing," said Shatner, who is known for his famous role as Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. The captain will beam into L.A. to accept the award, which is presented to someone who has made their name outside of the metal world but still embodies the genre's spirit. The staff at TWIM wholeheartedly endorses Shatner's latest honor. After all, it doesn't get any more metal than commanding a Federation starship; hanging with dudes named Spock, Sulu and Bones; firing proton torpedoes at Klingons and Romulans; and forging peaceful relations with alien females. (Shatner's 1978 GRAMMY-winning spoken word rendition of Elton John's classic "Rocket Man is also pretty metal, and no doubt available on a YouTube near you.)

In other headbanging news, a group of rockers have joined forces to pay tribute to the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra. But this isn't your mother's Sinatra tribute album. Sin-atra features a collection of some of Ol' Blue Eyes' biggest hits, but with a dose of power chords, pounding bass, screaming guitar solos, and thunderous drums. Guest vocalists include Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate ("Summer Wind"), Twisted Sister's Dee Snider ("It Was A Very Good Year"), former Judas Priest vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens ("Witchcraft"), Cheap Trick's Robin Zander ("Fly Me To The Moon"), and Mr. Big's Eric Martin ("Lady Is A Tramp"), among others. You can preview the sinful songs here. And if you need even more metal tribute album fare, try Butchering The Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute on for size.

In a collaboration that is sure to be a winning one, Snoop Dogg and Charlie Sheen have been photographed jamming in a recording studio. On March 25 Sheen, who you could say has been in the news of late, posted a photo of himself with Snoop Dogg and Korn guitarist Rob Patterson on his Twitter page, along with the tweet: "Warlock [we're guessing that's Sheen] meets his makers-music makers that is @SnoopDogg @robpatterson666 get ready to rock the Sheenius within!" Sounds like it ain't nothin' but a Sheenius thang.

With makeup kits, action figures, shot glasses, caskets, and dartboard sets among their purported 2,500 licenses, Kiss is arguably music's supreme merchandising juggernaut. But this is also a band with an eye for safety, as evidenced by the release of the new Gene Simmons condom. Graphic Armor Inc. and Condomania teamed with the Demon for the set of Kiss Kondoms, which feature his infamous tongue and are reportedly the first Food and Drug Administration-approved picture condoms. "With Gene's tongue leading the way once again, I am confident we are about to see an explosion of marketing messages and logos displayed on millions of condoms in action," said Adam Glickman, CEO of Condomania. Paul Stanley fans, don't fret. The hotter than hell "Studded Paul" set, featuring an image of the Starchild on textured latex, will be released in June.

You know what they say, there's nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman. But what exactly should a woman do to jazz up her protruding belly for the lengthy nine-month pregnancy? If you're GRAMMY winner Mariah Carey, you dress it up with a colorful butterfly design. Perhaps as an ode to her 1997 release, Butterfly, Carey posted a photo of her butterfly-painted belly on her Twitter page, tweeting, "My attempt @ festiveness on 327! For ATLITL thank u + I♥U! Comin soon #dembabies! LYMA+thanx 4 making me happy:)." According to a Los Angeles Times report Carey and Nick Cannon's twins are officially due on May 14, but could dem babies come early? It's always possible, and it'd be a sweet, sweet fantasy if they do.

It's been almost two months since Michael Bublé picked up Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album honors for Crazy Love at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, and now the Canadian pop singer seems to be crazy in love. On March 31 Bublé married Argentine TV actress Luisana Lopilato in a civil ceremony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The couple plans to tie the knot in true pop star fashion with a full ceremony at a mansion just outside Buenos Aires next month, and another wedding in Vancouver, British Columbia. Looks like it's time for Bublé to write a follow-up to "Haven't Met You Yet."

March Madness will officially come to an end this Monday as the NCAA crowns its 2011 men's basketball champion. But what about top of the rock? Earlier this month, ESPN's Herd Rock Band Bracket began with 64 rock bands vying for rock and roll royalty, but only one band emerged victorious. This fearsome-foursome didn't need any help, discarding with the likes of Creed, Def Leppard, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin. Find out who took the crown, and view the final bracket breakdown, here.

Finally, if you believed William Shatner won a GRAMMY for "Rocket Man," you are a victim of April Fools' Day. (However, Shatner did receive a GRAMMY nomination for Best Spoken Word Recording in 1976.)

Katy Perry's "E.T." featuring Kanye West is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Black Eyed Peas' "Just Can't Get Enough" is tops on the iTunes singles chart.

Any news we've missed? Comment below.

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9 Essential K-Pop/Western Collabs: From BTS And Megan Thee Stallion, To IVE And Saweetie
Megan Thee Stallion (Center) and (from L to R:) J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, V, RM, Suga, and Jimin of BTS attend the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 03, 2022.

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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9 Essential K-Pop/Western Collabs: From BTS And Megan Thee Stallion, To IVE And Saweetie

From Jungkook and Usher's tribute to their shared musical idol, to BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez' sugary sweet collab, K-pop and Western artists of all genres are joining forces to create killer hits.

GRAMMYs/Feb 27, 2024 - 02:12 pm

It’s impossible to ignore the growing global popularity of K-pop. Although Korean pop has been around for decades, the genre's meteoric worldwide success over the past 10 years is reminiscent of Beatlemania and the early 2000s American boy band craze. With a steady increase year-over-year in album sales and K-pop groups touring the U.S. and Europe, interest in K-pop shows no signs of slowing down.

Initially launched in South Korea as a music subgenre with Western pop, R&B and hip-hop influences in the '90s, the K-pop industry is valued at around $10 billion.

Given the worldwide appetite for K-pop, several Western musicians are keen to partner with K-pop acts crossing over into more international markets, often with songs sung partially or entirely in English. While K-pop artists do not need Western artists to be successful — BTS sold out London’s Wembley stadium in under 90 minutes back in 2019, and BLACKPINK made Coachella history twice with performances in 2019 and 2023 — K-pop's massive fanbase and multi-genre influence make it an ideal collaboration for everyone from rappers and singers to electronic DJs.

But don’t take our word for it. Here are nine of the most iconic K-Pop/Western collaborations (not in any order; they are all great songs!).

Usher and Jungkook - "Standing Next to You (Usher Remix)" (2024)

The maknae (the youngest member of the group) of global K-pop superstars BTS and the King of R&B are both having banner years: Jungkook released his debut solo album, and Usher just performed at the Super Bowl

The Bangtan Boys have cited Usher as a significant influence (even singing a callback to his 2001 hit "U Got It Bad" in their No. 1 song, "Butter"), so BTS fans were delighted when the Jungkook tapped Usher for a remix of "Standing Next to You." The song marks the fourth single from his Billboard 200 chart-topping debut album, Golden

Both singers count Michael Jackson as a major influence. In their collaboration video, Usher and Jungkook pay tribute to the King of Pop as they slide, pop, and lock across the slick floor of an abandoned warehouse. 

John Legend and Wendy of Red Velvet - "Written in the Stars" (2018)

R&B singer/pianist John Legend was the perfect choice for an R&B ballad with Wendy, the main vocalist of K-pop quintet Red Velvet. The final song on the five-track SM Station x 0, a digital music project, "Written in the Stars," is a beautiful, mid-tempo love song. A bit of a departure from K-pop’s typical upbeat sound, Wendy and Legend are in perfect harmony over a warm yet melancholic rhythm.

As Red Velvet’s main vocalist, Wendy was the ideal voice for this collaboration. Additionally, she split her childhood between Canada and the U.S., and has been comfortable singing in English since Red Velvet debuted in 2014. This wasn't her first collab with a Western artist: In 2017, she released an English-language version of the pop ballad "Vente Pa’Ca" with Ricky Martin

BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez - "Ice Cream" (2020)

A powerhouse debut single, BLACKPINK collaborated with pop royalty Selena Gomez on the massive 2020 hit "Ice Cream."

An electropop-bubblegum fusion filled with dairy double entendres, "Ice Cream" was an enormous success for both Gomez and the BLACKPINK girls. The track peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has racked up nearly 900 million YouTube views to date. 

Written by a consortium of hitmakers, including Ariana Grande and BLACKPINK’s longtime songwriter and producer Teddy Park (a former K-pop idol himself), "Ice Cream" shows that YG Entertainment’s golden foursome and Gomez were the correct partnership for this track. The pop-trap bop marked the first time a K-pop girl group broke the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and immediately solidified BLACKPINK as global superstars. 

Snoop Dogg and Monsta X - "How We Do" (2022)

West Coast rap godfather Snoop Dogg has quietly become one of the go-to Western acts for K-pop collabs, working with Psy, BTS, Girls’ Generation and 2NE1. K-pop is the Dogg Father's "guilty pleasure," and he performed at the Mnet Asian Music Awards with Dr. Dre in 2011. Without Snoop's love of K-pop, the world might not have gotten this fun and energetic collaboration with Snoop and Monsta X, a five-member boy group under Starship Entertainment.

The song appears in The Spongebob Movie: Sponge On The Run in a dance segment where Snoop, decked out in a pink and purple Western suit, is accompanied by zombie dancers. Though we do not see the members of Monsta X, their harmonious crooning is the perfect accent to Snoop Dogg’s trademark casual West Coast flow.

BTS and Steven Aoki - "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki remix)" (2017)

No K-pop list is complete with a nod to the magnificent seven, and "MIC Drop" is one of their catchiest Western collabs to date. 

"Mic Drop" is quintessential BTS: a nod to hip-hop with a heavy bass line and fun choreography. While the original version of "MIC Drop" is excellent, the remix with EDM superstar DJ Steve Aoki and rapper Desiigner cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the first of many hits for the Bulletproof Boy Scouts. 

Released at a time when BTS were just starting their ascent to chart-topping Western dominance, the track's boastful lyrics and tension-building electro-trap production offered an excellent introduction to the group that would soon become international superstars. 

JYJ, Kanye West and Malik Yusef - "Ayyy Girl" (2010)

A truly deep K-pop cut, you’d be hard-pressed to find many people who know that Kanye West collaborated with a first-generation K-pop group over 13 years ago. Released as the lead single on JYJ’s English-language album The Beginning, West’s signature bravado and wordplay are on full display over a track that sounds like the Neptunes produced it.

The song garnered attention in the U.S., but after a string of bad luck (including a severely delayed U.S. visa process and issues with their management company, SM Entertainment), JYJ could not capitalize on their American success. The group continued to see success in Korea and Japan in the early 2010s but never made a splash in the Western market again.

IVE and Saweetie - "All Night" (2024)

A reimagining of Icona Pop’s 2013 song of the same name, "All Night," sees fourth-generation K-pop girl group IVE partner with rap’s resident glamor girl Saweetie for a funky, electronic-infused pop song that’s perfect for dancing from dusk till dawn. 

"All Night" is the first English song for the Starship Entertainment-backed group. Interestingly, none of the members of IVE have individual lines in the song, choosing instead to sing the lyrics in a six-part harmony. This choice is exciting but fun, giving listeners the feeling that they are more than welcome to sing along. 

The girl group embarked on their first 24-date world tour in January 2024, with stops in the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America. Given their quest for global dominance, there’s a good chance "All Night" won’t be IVE's last English-language release.

BTS and Megan Thee Stallion - "Butter (Remix)" (2021)

BTS’ "Butter" had already spent three weeks atop the Billboard charts and was declared the "song of the summer" when the group’s label announced Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion as the guest star for the song’s remix in late August 2021. The GRAMMY-nominated septet is no stranger to collaborating with Western musicians, having worked with Halsey, Jason Derulo, and Coldplay

Though only slightly altered from the original (Megan’s verse was added in place of the song’s second original verse, along with several ad-libs), the remix was praised by both fans and critics alike, catapulting the song’s return back to the No. 1. Although the collaborators did not release a new music video featuring the group and the self-proclaimed "Hot Girl Coach," three members of BTS’ "dance line" (members J-Hope, Jungkook and Jimin) released a specially choreographed dance video. Additionally, Megan was a surprise guest during BTS’ record-breaking Permission to Dance LA concert in November of the same year.

LE SSERAFIM and Niles Rodgers - "Unforgiven" (2023)

GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Nile Rodgers' first foray into K-pop was a partnership with LE SSERAFIM, a fourth-gen girl group from the same parent company behind BTS. "Unforgiven" was released earlier this year as the lead single from the group’s debut album of the same name. 

A darker take on the familiar K-pop formula with A Western feel and look (the young quintuplet dons cowboy hats, boots and bolo ties in the song’s accompanying music video), "Unforgiven" is about rebellion and being a fierce, strong and independent risk taker. That riskiness drew Rodgers' ear. 

"It seems like a lot of the K-pop that I'm hearing lately, the…chord changes are a lot more interesting than what's been happening [in other music fields] over the last few years," he told GRAMMY.com in 2023. "I come from a jazz background, so to hear chord changes like that is really cool. They’re not afraid, which is great to me."

15 K-Pop Songs That Took 2023 By Storm: From Seventeen’s "Super (손오공)" to NewJeans' "Super Shy"

Here's What Happened At The Black Music Collective’s Recording Academy Honors 2024 GRAMMY Event Celebrating Mariah Carey & Lenny Kravitz
Mariah Carey accepts the Global Impact Award during the Recording Academy Honors presented by the Black Music Collective

Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

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Here's What Happened At The Black Music Collective’s Recording Academy Honors 2024 GRAMMY Event Celebrating Mariah Carey & Lenny Kravitz

The power of staying true to yourself was at the center of the 2024 GRAMMY Week event. Honorees Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz were lauded by colleagues and performers, including Stevie Wonder, Quavo, Babyface and Andra Day.

GRAMMYs/Feb 3, 2024 - 08:34 pm

On a wet but buzzing Thursday evening ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, leading lights in the music industry gathered for the third annual Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective. Along the event's black carpet, stars and industry insiders were showing out — taking photos, reconnecting with friends and collaborators, and chatting with the press. 

The official 2024 GRAMMY Week event was held Feb. 1 — the first day of Black History Month — at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and was sponsored by Amazon Music and City National Bank. Each year, BMC presents its Global Impact Award to legendary musicians advancing the culture, and 2024’s honorees Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey, loomed over the entire evening before they'd even arrived.

Flava Flav, sporting his patented clock necklace, was also hyped about the evening. "It means everything to be at the GRAMMYs tonight. This is big," Flav told GRAMMY.com. The rapper then spoke about the two transcendent stars being honored. "I feel real big about the honorees. Mariah Carey, always been proud of her and I love her songs…Lenny Kravitz is my dude. That’s my man. So congratulations Lenny!" 

The significance of the event was felt from the first foot set on the black carpet. Afrobeats star Fireboy DML weighed in on the importance of the night. "I’m honored. It feels good. It’s always important to be in spaces like this," Fireboy told GRAMMY.com, adding that he's excited about his upcoming fourth album. "It’s important for the culture." 

As attendees inside the jam-packed ballroom room eagerly awaited the main guests of the night, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. spoke about the momentum being built through Black Music Collective. 

"[Last year] I spoke how great it was to be holding the second annual BMC event. To me it meant we established a new tradition. And now the tradition proudly continues," Mason Jr. told the audience, emphasizing how the influence of Black culture can be found in all corners of the world and across musical genres. 

A performance by Nigerian superstar Davido, a first-time GRAMMY nominee, spoke to the power of musical diversity in the Academy and BMC. Although the crowd had sat down with their appetizers, many stood up to vibe out as Davido performed his nominated song, "Unavailable."

By the time Andra Day, adorned in a bright red leather coat, got to the end of her rendition of "Strange Fruit" with support from trumpeter Keyon Harrold, everyone in the ballroom was on their feet. It was a great moment for Day, whose cover of Billie Holiday’s 1939 cry for justice hammered home the connection between Black artists across different genres and across time.

Gabby Samone garnered the second standing ovation of the night for her take on Nina Simone’s "Four Women." Simone has had a number of major cosigns as her star has grown brighter, and her fans include Jennifer Hudson and none other than Mariah Carey. Samone's performance was followed by a powerful song from Erica Campbell, whose I Love You is nominated for Best Gospel Album this year.

A set from DJ Mannie Fresh, Kravitz took the stage to receive the first BMC Global Impact Award of the night. Introduced by mentee H.E.R, she talked about "American Woman’s" genre-bending influence on her own career and Kravitz's own influence from childhood. "The fashion, the confidence, the badass walk, and the killer vocals made me at six years old say to my dad ‘I wanna play guitar.’ ‘I wanna be a rockstar.’ ‘I wanna be like Lenny Kravitz,’" H.E.R. said. 

She then listed off some of Kravitz’s other accomplishments including working on "Rustin," the new Netflix film about critical civil rights architect Bayard Rustin, as well as Kravitz’s work in philanthropy through his Let Love Rule Foundation. 

Once the din died down, Kravitz took a trip back to childhood, too. He shared how, when he went to go see the Jackson 5 with his family, and was so hooked that he dreamed of becoming part of the storied troupe. "I fantasized that I was their long lost brother and turned the Jackson 5 into the Jackson 6," he said.

Kravitz also spoke the various genres of music that helped mold him, drawn from many different corners. From his "grandfather’s block in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn," where he "witnessed the birth of hip-hop," to being shaped by legends like Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone. He also shouted out his godmother, the late great actress Cicely Tyson. 

In a particularly cool mashup of genre and generation, Quavo provided vocals to "Fly Away," flanked by P-funk all star George Clinton, Earth, Wind & Fire bassist Verdine White, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. At the end of the performance, Kravitz went over to each performer and hugged them.

After a brief intermission, record producer and BMC Chair Rico Love shouted out leadership, including the Recording Academy board of trustees and Ryan Butler, Vice President of DEI. Love spoke about Black Music Collective as a space where everyone can feel at home. "The life of a creator is so hard. And lonely. That’s why it’s valuable to build community," he emphasized. 

Black Music Collective’s scholarship program, in collaboration with Amazon Music, Love said, will once again support HBCU students who aspire to be in the next generation of music industry power players. In 2023, scholarships were awarded to students at Florida A&M University, Texas Southern University, Norfolk State University, among others. Love recalls the mentors he had when he was coming up and is glad BMC is also paying it forward. 

Last night’s program found one of the few people on the planet that even Mariah Carey might be star struck by. Before the pop legend received her Global Impact Award, Stevie Wonder appeared and sat down over a keyboard. 

"Very excited to be here to celebrate someone that has been a friend and I’ve been a fan of since the very beginning of hearing her voice," he said, before serenading Carey with "I Just Called to Say I Love You," ending the rendition with "I love you, I love you, you are my hero."

Mariah Carey was seemingly surprised and star-struck herself. Once she overcame the awe, Carey detailed the pressure she faced early in her career to avoid leaning into Black music. "When I first started in the music business, I was often told to ‘conform’ to certain expectations. I was not encouraged to focus on my love for Black music," she told the crowd.

Later, some of Carey’s other friends and collaborators performed, including Babyface, who once sang backing vocals on Carey’s "Melt Away." (Carey then returned the favor by singing on "Every Time I Close My Eyes.") Another Carey collaborator, Busta Rhymes, performed crowd favorite "I Know What You Want" and offered sincere thanks to Carey for her boldness and desire to "run with the wolves." Tori Kelly also sang "Vision of Love" during this segment and earlier in the night, gospel legend Yolanda Adams performed "Make It Happen." The third annual Recording Academy Honors/BMC event certainly did make it happen, as attendees flooded out of the ballroom and into the streets pumped with pride.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominees And Winners List

Head to live.GRAMMY.com all year long to watch all the GRAMMY performances, acceptance speeches, the GRAMMY Live From The Red Carpet livestream special, the full Premiere Ceremony livestream, and even more exclusive, never-before-seen content from the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Mariah Carey To Receive Global Impact Award At Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective
Mariah Carey

Photo courtesy of Mariah Carey

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Mariah Carey To Receive Global Impact Award At Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective

The third annual GRAMMY Week event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, at the Fairmount Century Plaza.

GRAMMYs/Jan 31, 2024 - 08:00 pm

Mariah Carey might be a winner of five golden gramophones, and a nominee for 34 — but her recognition by the Recording Academy doesn't stop there.

The global pop icon has been announced as one of this year's Recording Academy Global Impact Award Honorees. Carey will be honored with the Recording Academy Global Impact Award, a CEO Merit Award that recognizes Black music creators whose dedication to the art form has greatly influenced the industry and whose legacy of service inspires countless individuals worldwide, celebrating those who, through leadership and passion, empower others to embrace their authentic selves and contribute to positive change.

Carey is the second of three Recording Academy Global Impact Award Honorees to be announced. Just yesterday, four-time GRAMMY Award winner Lenny Kravitz was unveiled as the first 2024 Recording Academy Global Impact Award Honoree; one more honoree will be announced on Thurs, Feb. 1, 2024.

Music executive and renowned photographer Lenny S will curate the Icons Gallery at the event, a captivating art activation paying tribute to generations of influential Black music icons. 

Adam Blackstone will return for the third consecutive year as music supervisor of the Black Music Collective event. MVD Inc will also return for the third consecutive year to produce the event.

The third annual Recording Academy Honors, sponsored by Amazon Music and City National Bank, will take place just days before Music's Biggest Night, with Amazon Music returning as a sponsor for a third consecutive year.

Live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and hosted by Trevor Noah, Music's Biggest Night will be broadcast live on Sun, Feb. 4, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Prior to the Telecast, the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on live.GRAMMY.com.

The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.

Keep checking this space for all things Mariah Carey and the 2024 GRAMMYs!

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Lenny Kravitz To Receive Global Impact Award At The Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective Event During GRAMMY Week 2024
Lenny Kravitz

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Lenny Kravitz To Receive Global Impact Award At The Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective Event During GRAMMY Week 2024

The Global Impact Award will celebrate Lenny Kravitz's personal and professional achievements in the music industry. The third annual GRAMMY Week event will be held at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Thursday, Feb. 1.

GRAMMYs/Jan 30, 2024 - 08:48 pm

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, four-time GRAMMY-winning artist Lenny Kravitz will receive the Recording Academy Global Impact Award at the third annual Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective, an official GRAMMY Week 2024 event taking place Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The event is sponsored by Amazon Music and City National Bank. Kravitz is the first of three Recording Academy Global Impact Award Honorees; additional honorees will be announced ahead of the event.

The Global Impact Award is a CEO Merit Award that recognizes Black music creators whose dedication to the art form has greatly influenced the industry. Honorees are lauded for their inspirational legacy of service and celebrated for the myriad ways recipients' leadership and passion has empowered others to embrace authenticity and contribute to positive change.

The 2023 recipients of the Recording Academy Global Impact Award were GRAMMY Award-winning artists Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, and legendary music executive Sylvia Rhone.

MVD Inc will also return for the third consecutive year to produce the event and The Black Music Collective event will once again feature GRAMMY nominee Adam Blackstone as the musical supervisor of the evening. Music executive and renowned photographer Lenny S will curate the Icons Gallery at the event, a captivating art activation paying tribute to generations of influential Black music icons.

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