Photo: Bill Marino/Sygma
Tina Turner
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Tina Turner To Queen: 2018 Recording Academy Special Merit Awards
Emmylou Harris, the Meters, Bill Graham, and John Williams are also among this year's crop of honorees who have made a lasting impression on the recording industry
It's time to celebrate another class of exceptional music creators with the Recording Academy's Special Merit Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY Award.
This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Hal Blaine, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan, the Meters, Queen, and Tina Turner. Bill Graham, Seymour Stein and John Williams will receive the Trustees Award. Tony Agnello and Richard Factor are the Technical GRAMMY Award recipients.
A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the Special Merit Awards honorees will be held in summer 2018. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced.
In the meantime, why are these industry luminaries up for a Special Merit Award? Let's take a closer look.
Blaine is best known for his role as the lead drummer/founder of the Wrecking Crew studio band that backed iconic artists such as Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, and more. He worked on six consecutive Record Of The Year GRAMMY-winning tracks between 1965 and 1970, including Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" and Simon And Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson."
Diamond's rich catalog has become a part of the fabric of America's songbook with hits such as "Sweet Caroline," "Solitary Man" and "You'll Be A Woman Soon." He earned a GRAMMY at the 16th GRAMMY Awards for Album Of Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special for Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year in 2009.
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A 13-time GRAMMY winner, Harris' genre-spanning style has earned her a permanent place among the contemporary country elite. She earned her first GRAMMY at the 19th GRAMMY Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female for Elite Hotel. She most recently won for Best Americana Album for Old Yellow Moon at the 56th GRAMMYs.
The late Jordan has been dubbed the Father of Rhythm & Blues and the Grandfather of Rock and Roll for his recordings from the late 1930s to early 1950s. He has four recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame with his band Tympany Five: "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" (inducted 2013), "Caldonia Boogie" (1998), "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" (2008), and "Let The Good Times Roll" (2009).
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The Meters — comprising drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, frontman Art Neville, percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and bassist George Porter Jr. — are considered to be among the founding fathers of funk with iconic tunes such as "Cissy Strut," "Good Old Funky Music" and "Chicken Strut." "Cissy Strut" was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2011.
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One of the most lauded rock bands of all time, Queen — bassist John Deacon, guitarist Brian May, frontman Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor — have made an indelible impact on the music industry with blockbuster hits such as the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame-inducted recordings "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You"/"We Are The Champions."
Heralded as the Queen of Rock and Roll, Turner remains a global recording star worldwide. She earned her first GRAMMY at the 14th GRAMMY Awards with Ike Turner for their rendition of "Proud Mary," which took home Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Group. She's since added an additional seven wins to her tally, most recently as a featured artist on Herbie Hancock's Album Of The Year-winning River: The Joni Letters at the 50th GRAMMY Awards.
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The late manager/concert promoter Graham is credited with creating the modern rock concert thanks to his tour organization for legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and George Harrison.
As a vice president of Warner Bros. Records and founder of Sire Records, Stein is responsible for ushering in the careers of some of our favorite artists, including the Ramones, the Pretenders, Talking Heads, k.d. lang, Barenaked Ladies, the Cure, Seal, Madonna, Depeche Mode, and Ice-T, among others.
Prolific composer Williams has made history for his unforgettable film scores, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. He is one of the top GRAMMY winners of all time with 23 GRAMMYs to his name, most recently for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. Star Wars — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2007.
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Technical GRAMMY Awards recipients Agnello and Factor have influenced the record-making process through their company Eventide, which produces a wide variety of original audio effects devices. The company's H910 Harmonizer effects processor, whose underlying technology forms the basis of all pitch-shifting and pitch-correction devices today, impacted the sound of classic LPs such as David Bowie's Low, Kraftwerk's Computer World and AC/DC's Back In Black, among others.
"This year's Special Merit Awards recipients are a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "These exceptionally inspiring figures are being honored as legendary performers, creative architects and technical visionaries. Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy."
Photo: CBS via Getty Images
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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Tina Turner Win Her First Solo GRAMMY In 1985 For "What's Love Got To Do With It?"
Relive the moment Tina Turner won a golden gramophone for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female — an opportunity she had been waiting for "for such a long time."
During her remarkable 83 years of life, the late Tina Turner received eight GRAMMY awards, a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, and three introductions into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, we travel to 1985, when Turner won a golden gramophone for one of her many iconic hits, "What's Love Got to Do with It?," in the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, category.
"I've been waiting for this opportunity for such a long time," she said in her acceptance speech. "I have to thank many people. And all of you that I don't get to thank, you must know that it's in my mind."
Among those "many people," Turner praised Graham Lyle and Terry Britten, who wrote the track; John Carter, her A&R "who played a wonderful part" in relaunching her career with Capitol Records in the '80s; and Roger Davies, her manager, "a great man who has done a great job with her career."
Later that night, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" helped Turner win Record Of The Year; she also took home Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, for "Better Be Good to Me." Though the 1985 ceremony marked Turner's first solo awards, she first won a GRAMMY in 1972 alongside her ex-husband, Ike Turner, for their recording of "Proud Mary."
Press play on the video above to watch Tina Turner's full acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, and remember to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.
Photo: Dave Hogan / Getty Images Archive
list
In Memoriam (2023): The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We Lost
Take a moment to salute the members of the music community we lost in 2022-2024.
Below is a tribute to the luminaries and esteemed professionals from the music community we lost between Dec. 5, 2022, through Jan. 26, 2024.
During the 2024 GRAMMYs broadcast, the Recording Academy's In Memoriam segment featured performances by several masterful musicians. Annie Lennox was joined by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman to honor Sinéad O’Connor. Stevie Wonder took the stage to pay homage to the legendary Tony Bennett, Jon Batiste honored the "Godfather of Black Music" Clarence Avant and Fantasia Barrino paid tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner. The performances were set against a video homage of several of the distinguished figures on this list. Every individual who passed away before the publication date has also been respectfully commemorated in the official 2024 GRAMMYs program book.
The Recording Academy offers its profound respect and appreciation for the unique gifts and enduring contributions these individuals have bestowed upon our culture and collective spirit.
Abe Stoklasa
Adam Johnstone
Aérea Negrot
Akbar Golpayegani
Alan Arkin
Alan Niederland
Alan Rankine
Alan Warner
Alan Moore Stowell
Alba 'Albita' Eagan
Algy Ward
Alice Parker
Allen Becker
Alton Wade Kelley
Amos Ettinger
Amp Fiddler
Amparo Rubín
Ana Clara Benevides Machado
Andrew Penhallow
Andrew Speight
Andy Rourke
Angela Zilia
Angelo Bruschini
Anita Kerr
Anne Hart
Annie Nightingale
Anthony Topham
Anthony John Heyes
Anup Ghoshal
Arie Levanon
Arif Cooper
Arthur Ward Eller
Audie Blaylock
August 08
Axali Doëseb
B. Sasikumar
Barbara Bryne
Barrett Strong
Baxter Black
Beeyar Prasad
Ben Lipitz
Benito Castro
Benjamin Zephaniah
Berit Lindholm
Bernie Marsden
Betta St. John
Betty Price
Beytocan
Bhavani Shankar
Bhavatharini Raja
Big Pokey
Big Scarr
John Nelson "Big John" Trimble Jr.
William "Bill" Castle
Bill Humble
Bill Lee
Bill Mayne
Bill Saluga
Bill Zehme
Bill Hayes
Billy Smith
Billy White Jr.
Billy "The Kid" Emerson
Bilqees Khanum
Bishop Carlton Pearson
Blair Tindall
Blas Durán
Blayne Tucker
Bob Burwell
Bob Feldman
Bob Jones
Bob Mummert
Bob Nalbandian
Bob Rice
Bob Siggins
Bob "Norton" Thompson
Bobbi Staff
Bobby Caldwell
Bobby Casey
Bobby Eli
Bobby Schiffman
Bonny Beverley
Brad Houser
Brad Thomson
Bram Inscore
Brandon Marcel Williams
Brett Radin
Brian McBride
Brian "Brizz" Gillis
Bridgette Wimberly
Broderick Smith
Bruce Guthro
Brucene Harrison
Bruno Ducol
Buddy McNeill
Burt Bacharach
C-Knight
C.J. Harris
Calton Coffie
Calton Coffie
Calvin Newton
Canelita Medina
Canisso Canisso
Care Failure
Carl Pagter
Carl Tovey
Carla Bley
Carlee Ann Vaughn
Carlin Glynn
Carline Smith Wilhite
Carlos Fonseca
Carlos Lyra
Carmen Jara
Carmen Xtravaganza
Carole Cook
Catherine Christer Hennix
Cayle Sain
Cecilia Pantoja Levi
Chabelita Fuentes
Chad Allan
Chaim Topol
Charline Whillhite
Charles Gayle
Charlie Dominici
Charlie Gracie
Charlie Monk
Charlie Robison
Chas Newby
Chick Rains
Chico Novarro
Choi Sung-Bong
Chris Ford
Chris Ledesma
Chris Lee
Chris Peluso
Christy Dignam
Chuck Flood
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Morris
Charley Morris
Clarence Avant
Clarence Barlow
Claude Kahn
Clay Hart
Cliff Fish
Clifton Oliver
Clint Yeager
Cobi Narita
Coco Lee
Colette Maze
Colin Burgess
Conny Van Dyke
Costa Titch
Craig Burbidge
Craig Hayes
Curtis Fowlkes
Cynthia Haring
Dan Lardner
Daniel Bourgue
Daniel Jones
Daniel Lee Stephen Jones
Danny Kaleikini
Danny Schur
Danny Milhon
Dave Cohen
Dave Dickerson
Dave Roe
Dave Freeman
David Drozen
David LaFlamme
David McCallum
David Soul
David Lumsdaine
David Beckwith
David Jude Jolicoeur
Dedi Graucher
Del Palmer
Denis Badault
Denyse Plummer
Dev Kohli
Dick Biondi
Dickie Harrell
Dima Nova
Dino Danelli
DJ Casper
DJ Deeon
DJ Dino Calvao
Djalma Corrêa
Don Graham
Don Kissil
Don Mulkey
Don Williams
Donnie McKethan
Dorian Kweller
Dr Latozi Madosini Mpahleni
Duane Tabinski
Dusty Street
Dwight Twilley
Ed Stone
Ed "Beanpole" Efaw
Edino Krieger
Edward Sexton
Edward Walters
Edward "Kidd" Jordan
Elayne Jones
Eliud Treviño
Ellen Fitzhugh
Elliot Goldman
Eloise Wyatt Russo
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou
Enrique "Zurdo" Roizner
Eric Boehlert
Eric Shoutin' Sheridan
Eric Moyo
Eric Alan Livingston
Essra Mohawk
Fallece Marilú
Faye Fantarrow
Fito Olivares
Florence Malgoire
Fran La Maina
Francesa Cappucci
Francis Monkman
François Glorieux
Frank Harlow
Frank Kozik
Frank Solivan Sr.
Frank Woodard
Frank Ford
Frank Farian
Freddie Ross Hancock
Fuzzy Haskins
Gabriele Schnaut
Gangsta Boo
Garry Mapanzure
Garry Lee Rentfro
Gary Hobish
Gary Rossington
Gary Smith
Gary Wright
Gary Young
Gennady Gladkov
George Logan
George Maharis
George Moffett
George Newall
George Portz
George Tickner
George Yanok
Georgia Holt
Gérard Drouot
Germano Mathias
Glen "Spot" Lockett
Gloria Belle
Gloria Coates
Goa Gil
Gordy Harmon
Gordy Nichol
Grace Bumbry
Grady Hockett
Graeme Malcolm
Graham Clark
Grand Daddy I.U.
Gregory Brian Wright
Hans Poulsen
Harley Worthington
Harold Childs
Harold Killian
Harold Black
Harry Sheppard
Haydn Gwynne
Heather Dunbar
Heike Matthiesen
Heklina Heklina
Helen Thorington
Henri Duaman
Henry Grossman
Herb Deutsch
Hiroshi "Heath" Morie
Hoppy Hopkins
Horacio Malvicino
Howie Kane
Huey "Piano" Smith
Ian Bairnson
Ian Emes
Ian Tyson
Iasos
Ilanga
Inga Swenson
Ingrid Haebler
Ira Selsky
Irish Grinstead
Irma Capece Minutolo
Irv Lichtman
Isaac "Redd" Holt
Ismaïlia Touré
Ivan "Mamão" Conti
Ivan M. Tribe
J.J. Barnes
Jack Lee
Jack Pruett Jr.
Jack Sonni
Jacqueline Dark
Jaquelyne Ledent-Vilain
Jah Shaka
Jaimie Branch
Jake Marlowe
James Bowman
James Casey
James Harvey IV
James Jorden
James Lewis
James Kottak
James C. "Jimmy" LaRocca
Jamie Reid
Jamie Tiller
Jan Woods
Jane Birkin
Jannis Noya Makrigiannis
Jasmin Stavros
Javier Álvarez Fuentes
Jay Goldberg
Jay Weston
Jay Clayton
Jeff Cook
Jeff Davis
Jeff Heiman
Jeffrey Foskett
Jeremiah Green
Jerry Bradley
Jerry Dodgion
Jerry Fretwell
Jerry Kearns
Jerry Samuels
Jerry Springer
Jerry Whitehurst
Jerry Paul Arnold
Jesus Garber
Jet Black
Jim Boyer
Jim Parker
Jim Sharpley
Jim Vienneau
Jim Ladd
Jim Rae
Jo Mersa Marley
Joanna Merlin
Joaquin Romaguera
Joaquin "Jocko" Fajardo
Joe Fagin
Joe McGuire
Joey Bogan
John Albert
John Beckingham
John Cirillo
John Deyle
John Giblin
John Gosling
John Kezdy
John Lomax IV
John Marshall
John Miller
John Morris
John Regan
John Waddington
John Cutler
John Alexander
John Andrew Tartaglia
John Watson Algee
Johnny Allon
Johnny Fean
Johnny Ruffo
Jon Fausty
Jon Kennedy
Jordan Blake
José Evangelista
Joseph Koo
Joshua Culbreath
Joshua Madsen
Joss Ackland
Jovit Baldivino
Joy McKean
Joyce Bryant
Judy Massey
Julián Figueroa
Julian Sebothane Bahula
Justin Bartlett
Justin Fontaine
K. Neville Garrick
K.J. Joy
Kaija Saariaho
Karaikudi Mani
Karl Berger
Karl Tremblay
Karl F. Dieterichs
Katherine Anderson Schaffner
Kathy Chow
Keiko Okuya Jones
Keith Gattis
Keith Reid
Keith Holzman
Kelly Joe Phelps
Ken Brigham
Ken Fish
Ken Roberts
Ken Calvert
Kendall A. Minter
Kenneth Anger
Kenneth Force
Kenneth Montgomery
Kent Stax
Kevin Fleming
Kevin Lemons
Kevin "Geordie" Walker
Kihnu Virve
Kim Simmonds
Kirk Arrington
Kirstie Alley
Klee Benally
Kwame Brathwaite
Kyle Jacobs
Ladislav Jásek
Lance Reddick
Larry Chance
Larry Morris
Lasse Wellander
Laura Lynch
Lawrence "Larry" Cohn
Lázaro Valdés
Lee Berk
Lee Purkis
Lee Rauch
Leela Omchery
Lefty SM
Leiji Matsumoto
Len Chandler
Lena McLin
Lenka Hlávková
Leo D. Sullivan
Leonard Abrams
Leonard Zinn
Leroy "Black Stalin" Calliste
Les Brown Jr.
Leslie Jordan
Lewis Largent
Lewis Spartlan
Lewis Pragasam
Lily Afshar
Linda de Suza
Linda Lewis
Lisa Roy
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisandro Meza
Lisl Steiner
Liz Thiels
Lizeta Nikolaou
Lois Curtis Shepherd
Lola Mitchell "Gangta Boo"
Lola Dee
Lord Creator
Lou Deprijck
Loyal Jones
Luis Vasquez
Luke Bell
Lyn McLain
M Daud Kilau
Malini Rajurkar
Mam' Sylvia Mdunyelwa
Manana Doijashvili
Mandla 'Mampintsha' Maphumulo
Manny Martinez
Manuel Göttsching
Manuel Castillo Girón
Marc Roy
Marcel Amont
Marcel Zanini
Marek Kopelent
Margaret Josephine Nisbett
Margie Hunt
Margie Sullivan
María Jímenez
Mariana Sîrbu
Marianne Mantell
Marilyn Johnston Blankenship
Mark Adams
Mark Howard
Mark James
Mark Kuykendall
Mark Russell
Mark Sheehan
Mark Stewart
Mark Thomas
Mark Nelson
Marsha Gray Basore
Martha Owen
Martin Duffy
Martin Petzold
Martin Stevens
Mary Weiss
Mary G. Dawson
Mary Jane Thomas
Mary Turner Pattiz
Mason Ruble
Massimo Savić
Matt Alese
Matt Stewart
Maurice Bourgue
Maurice Hines
Max Morath
Mbuya Stella Chiweshe
MC Fats
Megan Terry
Melanie Safka
Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff
Merv Shiner
Michael Blackwood
Michael Keith
Michael Kupper
Michael Leon
Michael McGrath
Michael Parkinson
Michael Snow
Michael John McGann
Mick Slattery
Mikael Maglieri
Mike Reeves
Mike Brown
Mike Taylor
Mike J Rojas
Miki Liukkonen
Mildred Miller
Milo Hrnić
Minneapolis Backyard Punk Show Shooting
Misha K. Hunke
Mo Foster
Mohbad
MoneySign Suede
Monte Cazazza
Moonbin
Myles Goodwyn
Najah Salam
Nancy Van de Vate
Nashawn (Lotto) Breedlove
Neal Langford
Neela Rampogal
Neil Kulkarni
Neville Garrick
Nicholas Lloyd Webber
Niel Immelman
Nihal Nelson
Niko Everette
Nina Matviienko
Nobuyuki Idei
Nora Forster
Norby Walters
Norm Pattiz
Notis Mavroudis
O.S. Thyagarajan
Oladips
Olga Chorens
Ordy Garrison
Orlando Marin
Óscar Agudelo
Otis Barthoulameu
Otis Redding III
Özkan Ugur
Pacho El Antifeka
Pamela Blair
Pamela Chopra
Pansequito
Pat Bunch
Patricia Burda Janečková
Patrick Emery
Paul Cattermole
Paul Desenne
Paul Justman
Paul Prestopino
Paul Woseen
Paxton Whitehead
Pedro Lavirgen
Pedro Messone
Pedro Henrique
Pedro Suárez-Vértiz
Pepe Domingo Castaño
Petch Osathanugrah
Pete Brown
Pete Garner
Peter Austin
Peter Brötzmann
Peter Kowalsky
Peter Luboff
Peter McCann
Peter Solley
Peter Schickele
Phil Quartararo
Phill Niblock
Pilarín Bueno
Pluto Shervington
Polito Vega
Prabha Atre
Pt Vijay Kichlu
Qamar Gula
R.C. Harris
Ralph Gordon
Ramani Ammal
Ramla Beegum
Ramsey Lewis Jr.
Randy Bailey
Randy Meisner
Rashid Khan
Ray Cordeiro
Ray Hildebrand
Ray Pillow
Ray Shulman
Ray Sparks
Raymond Froggatt
Raymond Lumpkin
Red Paden
Rena Koumioti
Renée Geyer
Ricardo Iorio
Ricardo Drue
Richard Davis
Richard Landis
Richard Law
Richard Ross
Richard Gaddes
Rick Froberg
Rick Newman
Rickie May
Rita Hollingsworth
R.L. Boyce
Rob Laakso
Robbie Bachman
Robert Becerra
Robert Black
Robert Haimer
Robert Hicks
Robert Michaels
Robert H. Precht
Robert W. Smith
Robin Tamang
Rock Brynner
Rodney Hall
Rodriguez
Roger Sprung
Roger Whittaker
Rohana Jalil
Rolf Harris
Ron Cornett
Ron Hamilton
Ron Spears
Ron S. Peno
Ronnie Turner
Roseline Damian
Roxie Cawood Gibson
Roy Rifkind
Roy Taylor
Royal Blakeman
Royston Ellis
Russell Batiste Jr.
Russell Sherman
Ryan Siew
Sajid Khan
Sakevi Yokoyama
Sal Piro
Sam Cutler
Sanath Nandasiri
Sandra Butler Truesdale
Sandra Trehub
Sara Tavares
Sarah Schlesinger
Sarah Rice
Scott Johnson
Scott Schinder
Séamus Begley
Sean Martin
Sebastian Marino
Seóirse Bodley
Shahidul Haque Khan
Shane Yellowbird
Shaul Greenglick
Shaun Roberts
Sheila Smith
Sheldon Reynolds
Shoji Tabuchi
Silent Servant
Silvio Berlusconi
Sir David Lumsden
Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
Slim Andrews
Smokey Greene
Soňa Červená
Spot
Stainslaw Radwan
Stan Hitchcock
Stella Stevens
Stephen "tWitch" Boss
Stephen Allen Davis
Steve Harwell
Steve Riley
Steve Skold
Steve Travis
Steve Nelson
Stevie B-Zet
Stuart Margolin
Sudakshina Sarma
Sueli Costa
Sulochana Chavan
Suna Kan
Surinder Shinda
Suzanne Somers
Suzy Frank
Swarup Nayak
Sweet Charles Sherrell
Tamara Milashkina
Tapas Das
Teddy White
Teresa Taylor
Teri Bristol
Terri Nolan
Terry Hall
Terry Thacker
Terry Baucom
Teté Caturla
Thanga Darlong
Theo de Barros
Theresa Reneé Watson
Thom Bell
Thomas H. Lee
Thomasina Winslow
Thotakura Somaraju
Tim Bachman
Tim Stacy
Tim Rogers
Tim Norell
Tina Turner
TJ De Blois
Tohru Okada
Tom Langdon
Tom Leadon
Tom Verlaine
Tom Whitlock
Tom Wilkerson
Tom Mazzetta
Tony Coe
Tony McPhee
Tony Oxley
Tony Clarkin
Torben Ulrich
Toru Mitsui
Toto Cutugno
Treat Williams
Treva Chrisco
Trish Williams Warren
Troy Brammer
Tshala Muana
Vakhtang Kikabidze
Valentin Gheorghiu
Van Conner
Varnell Harris Johnson
Victor Pikayzen
Victor Rasgado
Vilayil Faseela
Vince Hill
Violeta Hemsy de Gainza
Virginia Zeani
Vivian Trimble
Vivian Williams
Vivienne Westwood
Walt Wilson
Walter Aipolani
Walter Arlen
Walter Charles
Walter Cole Darcelle XV
Walter Ulloa
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Wayne Swinny
Wee Willie Harris
William "DJ Casper" Perry Jr.
Willie Ruff
Willis Spears
Yaacov Bergman
Yehonatan Geffen
Yitzhak Klepter
Yogesh Vaidya
Yotam Haim
Young Capone
Yukihiro Takahashi
Yuzo Toyama
Yvonne Přenosilová
Zahara
Zdenek Macal
Zita Carno
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
news
Inside The 2024 Special Merit Awards Ceremony Honoring N.W.A, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer & More
A deeply emotional pre-GRAMMY ceremony honored an extraordinary group of musical creators, pioneers, educators and icons including the Clark Sisters, Tammy Wynette, K'naan and others legendary innovators.
This year, the Special Merit Awards ceremony was not for the faint of heart.
The 2024 GRAMMY Week event, held Saturday at a capacity Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, presented Lifetime Achievement Awards, Trustees Awards, the Technical GRAMMY, and the Music Educator Award to a dazzling gallery of musical innovators whose work has generated deep emotional connections across decades. In a world currently ensnared in a pattern of global conflict, the presentation of the award for Best Song for Social Change for the first time at the Special Merit Award ceremony this year added an extra layer of poignancy.
The presentation was touching from the very beginning, with a video montage of previous winners set to the historic recording of Aretha Franklin singing the Puccini aria "Nessuna Dorma." Glimpses of many legendary faces and performances on the screen underscored the Academy’s empathy for impactful music history: from Marvin Gaye to Janis Joplin; Billie Holiday to The Carter Family; The Beatles and Tina Turner to Dolly Parton and The Supremes.
The 2024 Music Educator Award was then given to Annie Ray, a music teacher and orchestra leader from Annandale, Virginia selected for her relentless positivity and inclusive energy. "Orchestra is much more than a class — it’s a family," said one of her students during a brief video chronicling her work. Ray, whose classrooms include students from 66 different countries — put together, they speak 59 languages — was visibly touched as she received the award. "I am thankful to share with the world what my students have taught me," she said.
The year’s Technical GRAMMY belonged to Tom Scott and the late Tom Kobayashi, who met at Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound in 1985 and together launched the Entertainment Digital Network (EDnet), which allows the sharing of high-quality video and audio. An estimated 250,000 musical collaborations have been facilitated by their innovations, including many GRAMMY performances.
Next up were the three Trustee Awards: British pop legend Peter Asher, member of Peter & Gordon, prolific A&R executive, producer, manager, and a self-professed "admirer and member of the Recording Academy for almost 60 years"; legendary entertainment attorney and former Recording Academy Chairman Joel Katz, known as "the dealmaker who thinks outside of the box"; and Jamaican American DJ Kool Herc, renowned as one of the founders of East Coast hip-hop in ‘70s. He received the award joined by his sister Cindy who promoted his initial series of parties in the Bronx, noted for his groundbreaking use of two turntables and the extension of funky breaks in songs.
It was time to honor the Lifetime Achievement recipients, and a sprightly Laurie Anderson stepped onstage and gave a witty assessment of her reputation as an uncompromising song alchemist. "They say my music is experimental, which sounds like doing something in the lab that might explode," she said. From her wonderfully robotic, left-field 1982 hit "O Superman" to her poetic concept album Homeland in 2010, Anderson has created her share of aesthetically explosive works of the art-pop and avant-garde variety.
"I love music so much, and I married a musician," she said acknowledging her husband, the late Lou Reed. "Wouldn’t it be great if there was a piano on every corner?"
The best-selling female gospel group in history, Detroit-based The Clark Sisters are known for their soaring vocal harmonies and powerhouse hits like "You Brought The Sunshine."
"We thank our Lord and Savior for allowing us to do what we do: singing," they said, adding words of gratitude for their mother — "the lady who paved the way" — the late choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark.
The importance of a rich spiritual life was also emphasized by Motown legend and Soul empress Gladys Knight. The singer known for classic hits such as "Midnight Train to Georgia" and a raucous rendition of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" beamed onstage as she recalled her beginnings in music, before she became an international star with The Pips. "We had to go to church every Sunday, and it did make a difference," she said. "Everybody was singing around me when I grew up. And my mom would never allow me to do it easy. It had to come from the heart."
It was time to witness the strength of street knowledge. Delving into the very core of hip-hop identity, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to N.W.A, the revolutionary Los Angeles collective that transformed the landscape of popular music with its 1988 debut Straight Outta Compton. The group was joined by the mother and son of late rapper Eazy-E, who passed away in 1995 at age 30. The surviving members of the group – excepting Dr. Dre, who was celebrating his daughter’s birthday and sent a text greeting – looked vindicated. "We always knew that a GRAMMY was not in the cards for us, but we still wanted to express ourselves," said Ice Cube. "When you do your thing, the world will come to you."
Donna Summer, the ethereal and visionary singer who took disco music into progressive territory during the ‘70s, passed away in 2012. The "I Feel Love" star received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday — and her husband Bruce Sudano and their three daughters were there to collect it. "Her voice and music are omnipresent in the [cultural] zeitgeist," said Sudano. "Donna continues to inspire people worldwide. She always referred to herself as an ordinary girl."
Last but not least, GRAMMY winning country star Tammy Wynette, who died in 1998, was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award — accepted by her daughters, Georgette Jones and Jackie Daly.
"Mom would feel very humbled to be in such a talented group of people," Jones said. "She always thought that the GRAMMYs were the biggest accomplishment in music. And she never fully understood her own impact."
When rapper and singer K’naan was a child in Mogadishu, his mother managed to get the family out of Somalia on the last commercial flight before the civil war erupted. Together with songwriters Gerald Eaton and Steve McEwan, K’naan was honored with the Best Song for Social Change award for "Refugee," a track about the plight of political refugees around the world.
"In the Somali language, the word 'home' derives from the word 'mother,'" explained K’naan as he received the award to a standing ovation. "I dedicate this GRAMMY to my home — my mother."
2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List
Photo: Courtesy of artists
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2024 GRAMMYs To Pay Tribute to Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Clarence Avant & Tina Turner With In Memoriam Segment
The GRAMMY Awards segment will feature performances by Stevie Wonder in tribute to Tony Bennett; Jon Batiste honoring Clarence Avant; Annie Lennox for Sinead O'Connor; and Fantasia Barrino remembering Tina Turner, airing live on Sunday Feb. 4.
The 2024 GRAMMYs will feature a special In Memoriam segment to honor the lives of some of the incredible individuals that the music world lost this year with performances by GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists.
Stevie Wonder will take the stage to pay homage to the legendary Tony Bennett, celebrating Bennett's remarkable contributions to music and devotion to the Great American Songbook.
Annie Lennox will perform in tribute to Irish icon Sinead O’Connor. Joining her for this heartfelt homage will be Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman.
Jon Batiste is set to honor Clarence Avant, the "Godfather of Black Music," with a performance dedicated to the influential figure's impact on music and culture. Lenny Kravitz, one of this year's Global Impact Award recipients, will also play a significant role in this segment, both participating and introducing the tribute, linking two generations of music icons.
In a tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Tina Turner, Fantasia Barrino will perform, capturing the spirit and energy of Turner's music. Oprah Winfrey will also be part of this segment, introducing the performance, and adding a layer of gravitas to the tribute to one of music's most powerful voices.
In addition to the In Memoriam segment, the 2024 GRAMMYs will feature breathtaking performances from the leading artists in music today. Performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs include Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Burna Boy, Dua Lipa, Joni Mitchell, Luke Combs, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Travis Scott, and U2.
Several confirmed GRAMMY performers will make GRAMMY history at the 2024 GRAMMYs this weekend: Mitchell will make her GRAMMY performance debut, while U2 will deliver the first-ever broadcast performance from Sphere in Las Vegas. Click here to see the full list of performers and presenters at the 2024 GRAMMYs.
Trevor Noah, the two-time GRAMMY-nominated comedian, actor, author, podcast host, and former "The Daily Show" host, returns to host the 2024 GRAMMYs for the fourth consecutive year; he is currently nominated at the 2024 GRAMMYs in the Best Comedy Album Category for his 2022 Netflix comedy special, I Wish You Would.
Learn More: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List
2024 GRAMMYs: Explore More & Meet The Nominees
The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, will broadcast live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 4, 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 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will broadcast live from the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on live.GRAMMY.com.
On GRAMMY Sunday, fans can access exclusive behind-the-scenes GRAMMY Awards content, including performances, acceptance speeches, interviews from the GRAMMY Live red-carpet special, and more via the Recording Academy's digital experience on live.GRAMMY.com.
The 66th GRAMMY Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on demand in the United States. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs in the U.S. only.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach Music's Biggest Night!