The death of Robbie Robertson on Wednesday (Aug. 9) has put a spotlight on The Band, the ground-breaking group in which he teamed with Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel.
The Band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 1989. Those are the key lifetime career honors presented to artists at the Juno Awards and the Grammys, respectively.
The Band is one of just five acts – and the only group – to receive both of these honors. The Band and two of the other four acts have also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which we’ll include here, though our focus is on the career honors linked to the Junos and the Grammys.
The Grammys have a backlog of worthy artists to receive lifetime achievement awards and also trustees awards, which are presented to people whose main contributions are behind-the-scenes. Neil Young, who was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1982, still hasn’t received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy. (Memo to the Academy: What are you waiting for?) Neither have such other Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees as Hank Snow, Paul Anka, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Rush, Shania Twain, k.d. lang, Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan. Some, but certainly not all, of these artists will likely one day receive the good news from the Recording Academy.
Likewise, producers David Foster, Daniel Lanois and Bob Ezrin, all of whom have been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, have yet to receive trustees awards.
Here are the five artists who have received lifetime achievement awards from the Recording Academy and are members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Grammy wins: Nine plus a lifetime achievement award in 2002.
Juno wins: Three plus induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981.
Notes: Mitchell, who was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta in 1943, was the first woman to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The singer-songwriter and painter of note was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2021 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2023. Mitchell is 79.
Grammy wins: Two plus a lifetime achievement award in 2010.
Juno wins: Eight plus induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1991.
Notes: Cohen was born in Westmount, Quebec in 1934. The singer-songwriter, poet and novelist was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame two years later. He died in Los Angeles in 2016 at age 82.
Grammy wins: None, though Helm won three Grammys on his own. The band received a lifetime achievement award in 2008.
Juno wins: None, though Robertson won five Junos on his own. The band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989.
Notes: The classic line-up consisted of four Canadians (Danko, Hudson, Manuel and Robertson) and one American (Helm). Only Hudson, 86, is still living. The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Grammy wins: Seven plus a lifetime achievement award in 1997.
Juno wins: One plus induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
Notes: Peterson and bandleader Guy Lombardo were the inaugural inductees into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Peterson was born in Montreal in 1925. The jazz pianist and composer died in Mississauga, Ontario in 2007 at age 82.
Grammy wins: Four plus a lifetime achievement award in 2013.
Juno wins: Three plus induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1983.
Notes: Gould was born in Toronto in 1932. The classical pianist was just 50 when he died (also in Toronto) in 1982, following a stroke.
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