recording academy
Jon Batiste will receive the inaugural Ray Charles âArchitect of Soundâ Award at the annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, which is set for May 16 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The award is to be presented annually at this event, which is presented jointly by the Grammy Museum and the Recording Academy.
The âArchitect of Soundâ Award recognizes an artist whose impact on music echoes Charlesâ pioneering spirit. A 17-time Grammy winner, Charles is widely-regarded one of the most influential artists of all time. He was in the inaugural class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recipients in 1986 and also received the Kennedy Center Honors that year. He received the Recording Academyâs Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987 and has 10 recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for portraying Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray. The film remains one of the top 10 top-grossing musical biopics.
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âRay Charles is a beacon for me, a blueprint,â Batiste said in a statement. âHe is a singular example of musical genius, artistic freedom and craft of the highest level that will continue to inspire humanity for generations and stand the test of time. I am honored to receive this award. It is vitally important to me to carry on our cultural legacy of true artistic greatness and lead the way for generations to come.â
Michael Sticka, Grammy Museum president/CEO, said, âRay Charles was a trailblazing artist whose influence knows no bounds, and Jon Batiste is a true reflection of that legacy. Beyond his immense talent, Jon has been a dedicated partner in advancing the Grammy Museumâs mission to make music education more accessible. Honoring him with the inaugural Ray Charles âArchitect of Soundâ Award is not just fitting â itâs a celebration of two artists who have shaped the sound of generations.â
Valerie Ervin, president of The Ray Charles Foundation, added, âRay Charles was always pushing music forward â blending genres, breaking barriers, and inspiring generations. He would be deeply honored to have his name attached to an award that celebrates artists who share his fearless creativity and dedication to their craft. Jon Batiste embodies that spirit.â
Batiste has won seven Grammys, including album of the year for We Are, and an Oscar for best original score for Soul (in tandem with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). His latest album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), is the first in his solo piano series, reimagining classical works through a fresh lens.
Batiste will take the stage for two performances at the Gala, which will also feature musical moments from a lineup of artists to be announced soon. The event will additionally honor this yearâs label honoree, Republic Records.
The show will be produced by former Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich, alongside Ron Basile, Lindsay Saunders Carl and Lynne Sheridan, with musical direction by Cheche Alara, a Grammy- and Latin Grammy Award-winning composer, producer and conductor. CBS News journalist Anthony Mason returns as host.
The Gala will celebrate the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame inducted recordings, which include iconic recordings such as JAY-Zâs Reasonable Doubt, Cat Stevensâ Tea for the Tillerman, Santanaâs Supernatural, and recordings from Big Star, Clara Ward, Eddie Floyd, Emmylou Harris, Fela Kuti & Afrika 70, Geeshie Wiley, Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Linda Martell, and Luther Vandross.
The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academyâs National Trustees in 1973. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a committee, with final ratification by the Recording Academyâs National Board of Trustees. With 13 new titles, the Grammy Hall of Fame currently totals 1,165 inducted recordings. Eligible recipients will receive an official certificate from the Recording Academy.
Tickets for the Grammy Hall of Fame Gala are on sale now. For more information, visit the Grammy Museum website.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. sent a letter via email to all Recording Academy members on Wednesday (April 2) sharing a report that the academy created and quietly posted on its website in January. In the report, the academy attempts to quantify its impact and summarize the changes it has made over the five years since Mason stepped into the top job at the organization (initially as interim CEO following the departure of Deborah Dugan).
âWhile many people know us as just an awards granting institution, we are actually a purpose-driven impact organization serving music makers and aspiring music makers around the world 365 days a year,â Mason wrote in his letter. ⌠âThis Grammy Impact 2024 report puts into one place all the ways the Recording Academy positively affected music people last year.â
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In an interview with Billboard, Mason shed further light on his aims with the report, which takes the form of a slick and visually appealing deck brimming with facts and figures. But Mason says the numbers arenât the point. âTo me, the bottom line is that they get a sense that the academy is making a real impact on the lives of music people beyond just giving trophies,â he says. âWhat Iâm trying to do is hopefully build support for the academy, through seeing it maybe through a different lens, rather than just who got snubbed or who won or who didnât win. Thatâs the objective of this report.â
Mason has long tried to get people to see the academy as more than just the dispenser of shiny gramophones. âWhen I took the role, one of my objectives and goals was to heighten the awareness of what happens the other 364 days of the year,â he says. âI did experience a lot of interaction with music people in studios as I was coming up where people just thought of the Grammys as a night to get an award, whereas I was always encouraging them to see the bigger picture; to see all the service work thatâs being done; the advocacy, the education, the philanthropy, MusicCares; all the different parts of the academy.
âA lot of people know and love the awards ceremony,â he continues. âIâm thankful for that, but it is a challenge for us as an organization to tell the larger story as to why we exist. [This report is] a new way of positioning the academy. We needed to do a better job of explaining why the academy exists beyond to celebrate one night a year. So, this was an intentional effort for us over the last few years to make sure weâre telling that story in a new way.â
Perhaps the most eye-popping statistic in the deck presentation is one that was already reported in the academyâs 2024 membership report, which was released Oct. 3 and reported in Billboard that same day: That a whopping 66% of current academy voting members have joined since 2019.
âItâs great [in the] sense in that we are continuing to remain relevant,â Mason says, âto attract new music-makers, people who are at the height of their careers, or coming into their careers, and we are moving away from having people who have been membersâŚâ Mason pauses and starts anew. âWe always want to keep our long-term members, but we want to make sure theyâre continuing to qualify as voting members [by being able to show recent credits]. We donât want people that have had music careers in the 1960s or â70s still voting on music that maybe theyâre not involved in making, so weâre making sure weâre refreshing the membership; making sure the membershipâs relevant to professionals in the industry working today.â
The deck also includes the statistic, also first reported in the membership report, that people of color now constitute 38% of the voting membership. âIâm pleased with the progress,â Mason says. âWe still feel like we have some room to go. You think about why are these numbers important: Why do you care about changing the make-up of our membership? Itâs mostly because we want to make sure our membership reflects the industry.â
Mason says he has no set points in mind as to when the academy will have achieved its membership goals. âWeâll never be done, because these numbers are going to fluctuate,â he says. âTheyâre going to adjust based on whatâs happening in our community, in music; changing based on genre popularity, so weâre going to be in a constant search to perfect our membership. Weâre always going to continue to work and tinker with the numbers because we have to remain relevant. I donât think weâre where we want to be yet. Iâm not sure weâll ever accomplish the perfect membership, but we will continue to [work on it].â
At this yearâs Grammy Awards, artists and songwriters of color won three of the four highest-profile awards: album of the year (BeyoncĂŠâs Cowboy Carter) and record and song of the year (Kendrick Lamarâs âNot Like Usâ). Does Mason see that as a reflection of the academyâs overhaul of its membership?
âNot necessarily,â Mason says. âI see it as a reflection of the quality of their individual work. I like to think having a relevant membership â regardless of their race â is probably what gives us the best outcomes, but I think those people had amazing years creatively and our voters recognized that.â
The deck also repeats the stat that the Recording Academy has added more than 3,000 women voting members since 2019, surpassing its 2019 goal to add 2,500 women voting members by 2025. Women now make up 28% of the voting membership.
âWe really needed to increase the number of women voters,â Mason says. âA great first step is adding 3,000 new members. Weâre not [yet] where you want to be.â
The deck also speaks to the academyâs âbold global expansion, working with stakeholders in Africa and the Middle East to help foster the dynamic music markets there.â (The academy first released this information on June 9.)
Asked why that effort is a priority for the U.S.-based academy, Mason replies, âObviously, a big focus is on our American members, and it will continue to be that. We are an organization that represents music all around the world. If weâre going to do that, we have to have people that represent those genres. It very much can be said in the same way about Latin music: Why do you care about Latin music? Why did you build a Latin Academy? Itâs because the music is very popular. Itâs a thriving music community and it continues to affect people as they listen to it and consume music, and the same can be said for other parts of the world.
âWe are not living in a time when music only comes from American creators,â he continues. âMusic is coming from creators all around the planet. As a group that serves music people and hopefully uplifts music people, we want to be able to do that for people regardless of where theyâre from. As long as theyâre making music, we want to have an impact on those music groups.â
Hereâs Masonâs letter to the academy membership in full:
Academy members,
I am writing today to share an exciting report that we recently created. You frequently hear me say that music is a powerful force for good in the world, and that the people who make it deserve an organization dedicated to their well-being. I feel so incredibly privileged to work for the organization that exists to do that.
But our highest purpose isnât merely to serve music creators, itâs to make a positive impact on their lives and careers. And thatâs exactly what we work to do, every single day of the year, through the tireless and amazing effort of our board and our teams.
While many people know us as just an awards granting institution, we are actually a purpose-driven impact organization serving music makers and aspiring music makers around the world 365 days a year. Every piece of legislation we help pass has a tangible impact on the music people we serve. Every event hosted by a chapter or wing, every dollar distributed by MusiCares, every scholarship we provide, and every time we open the Grammy Museum doors to a child, it impacts our music community. And yes, every Grammy nomination and award alters the trajectory of someoneâs life and career.Â
This Grammy Impact 2024 report puts into one place all the ways the Recording Academy positively affected music people last year. As we say in the report, it is the combined work of the more than 300 dedicated employees of the Recording Academy, the Latin Recording Academy, the Grammy Museum, MusiCares, and thousands of music creators who volunteered their time in service to their peers.
Please take a moment to read through the report, and reflect on the ways you and your colleagues personally contributed to these outcomes. I hope you feel a sense of pride and purpose in what was accomplished, and for the role you play every day in serving the music people who rely on us.
Of course, weâre now into 2025, and while we celebrate the achievements of last year, we are also looking ahead to the impact we will make this year and beyond. Grammys on the Hill is right around the corner, the Day that Music Cares is coming soon, and much more awaits us in the months ahead.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our work. It is making a lasting impact.Gratefully,Harvey Mason jr.
Randy Travis, Rep. Linda SĂĄnchez (D-CA), and Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) will be honored at the 2025 Grammys on the Hill Awards. The event is being held on Tuesday (April 8) in Washington, D.C.
Travis, a seven-time Grammy winner and multiplatinum recording artist, is being recognized for his work championing fair compensation and protections for artists in the digital age. In 2024, he testified on Capitol Hill in support of the American Music Fairness Act, which aims to ensure artists are fairly compensated when their songs air on AM/FM radio. He is also committed to promoting the ethical use of AI.
âAt this point in my life, I am fully focused on living and giving back,â Travis said in a statement. âIâve been part of the music community my whole life, professionally for 40 years. I am passionate about advocating to keep music an honest pursuit of art and human expression. While I remain excited about new, cutting-edge technologies, we must protect, and fairly compensate, the creative minds that give us the musicâand artâthat feeds our souls.â
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Travis, 65, has amassed 16 No. 1 hits on Billboardâs Hot Country Singles chart and five No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
Representatives SĂĄnchez and Estes are being honored for their leadership in championing policies that empower and protect musicians. Together, they re-introduced the HITS Act in Congress in January 2025 to advance tax reforms to ensure independent music creators can thrive.
The Grammys on the Hill Awards are just the start of a three-day schedule of events hosted by the Recording Academy.
On Wednesday April 9, the Academyâs annual Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day will bring together Grammy winners and nominees, along with industry leaders, for meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss key legislative priorities impacting music creators.
On Thursday April 10, the Academy will hold its second annual Grammys on the Hill Future Forum, a conference exploring critical issues impacting the music community. The event will explore how to best build up music communities both locally and globally. Conversations will focus on the work state and local stakeholders are doing to develop and sustain music economies, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing new emerging music markets around the world.Â
âGrammys on the Hill plays a pivotal role in improving the lives of music creators, and weâre thrilled to see it evolve into a full week of advocacy, celebration and learning,â said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. âIâm excited to bring our music community and policymakers together in Washingtonânot just to celebrate the changemakers fighting for creatorsâ rights, but to unite and take action to improve the livelihoods of music people across the country.â
Since its inception in 2001, Grammys on the Hill has honored such artists as Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Pharrell Williams and Sheryl Crow. (See full list of artist honorees below.) The annual event has also recognized influential congressional leaders, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and former Speakers of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Grammys on the Hill has led to several legislative victories for the music industry, including the Music Modernization Act in 2018 and the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act in 2022. In 2024, the Academy helped pass five pro-music laws, supported 20 state and federal bills, and rallied more than 3,500 members to engage in music advocacy efforts across the country.
Hereâs a complete list of previous artists who were honored at the Grammys on the Hill event:
2024 â Sheryl Crow
2023 â Pharrell Williams
2022 â Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
2019 â Yolanda Adams and Kristin Chenoweth
2018 â Little Big Town
2017 â Keith Urban
2016 â Zac Brown Band
2015 â Alicia Keys
2014 â Lady A
2013 â Jennifer Hudson
2012 â John Mayer
2011 â Don Henley
2010 â Garth Brooks
2007 â Quincy Jones
2006 â Kelly Clarkson
2005 â Gloria Estefan
2004 â Natalie Cole
2003 â Martina McBride
2002 â Vince Gill
2001 â Missy Elliott
Voting members of the Recording Academyâs Los Angeles chapter are being asked to vote again in the election that determines that chapterâs governors. The problem: Not enough people voted in the election that concluded Wednesday (March 26) for the Academy to consider it a valid election. As a result, a new election will open on April 9 and close on April 16.
Harvey Mason jr., Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO, and Tammy Hurt, chair of the academyâs board of trustees, sent an email to L.A. chapter voting members on Friday (March 28) explaining the situation and asking them to please be sure to vote this time. Members who voted in the initial election must vote again because this is a new election.
In their email, Mason and Hurt expressed sympathy for L.A. voting members, who have been through a lot in the past few months. Even those who werenât personally affected by the wildfires that devastated the region beginning Jan. 7 were stressed by being part of a community that went through a traumatic event. âWe understand that the past few months have been incredibly challenging for our LA members, and that you have had far more pressing matters to navigate,â they wrote. âHowever, it is critical that our elected leaders reflect the broad and diverse will of our members.â
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The L.A. chapter is the largest of the academyâs 12 chapters. The others are Atlanta, Chicago, Florida, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Pacific Northwest, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Texas and Washington, D.C.
Julia Michels, who won a Grammy five years ago as a music supervisor on Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooperâs A Star Is Born soundtrack, is president of the L.A. chapter, which currently has 31 governors, all of whom are elected by voting members in the chapter. The governors, in turn, elect the national trustees. The L.A. chapter currently has seven trustees (more than any other chapter): Cheche Alara, Evan Bogart, Maria Egan, Sara Gazarek, Mike Knobloch, Ledisi and Jonathan Yip.
Hereâs the email from Mason and Hurt, in full:
Dear Los Angeles Voting Members,
Voting in the Recording Academyâs twelve chapter elections concluded Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles chapter election for Voting Member Governor races did not receive the required turnout for a valid election. As a result, we are going to hold a second election. We understand that the past few months have been incredibly challenging for our LA members, and that you have had far more pressing matters to navigate. However, it is critical that our elected leaders reflect the broad and diverse will of our members.
The new election will open on April 9 and close on April 16, and again, it will only be for the Voting Member Governor races. Please note that even if you voted in these recently-concluded races, you must vote again. This is a new election.
We ask that you please make time to participate in this important step and vote. You will determine the next class of Recording Academy elected leaders that will guide the Los Angeles Chapter. Please vote and please encourage others to do the same.
If you are in need of assistance due to the LA wildfires, please visit www.musicares.org/get-help.
Best regards,
Harvey Mason jr.
Recording Academy & MusiCares CEO
Tammy Hurt
Chair, Board of Trustees
Debut albums by Jay-Z, Luther Vandross and Big Star and breakthrough singles by Miami Sound Machine and Eddie Floyd are among the 13 recordings that were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame this year. This yearâs additions (eight albums and five singles) meet the main requirements â they exhibit âqualitative or historical significanceâ and […]
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of The Recording Academy, and Ben Winston, a founding partner of Fulwell Entertainment, will be named 2025 Music Visionaries of the Year at the UJA-Federation of New Yorkâs Music Visionary of the Year Award Celebration. The event, which is marking its 25th anniversary, will be held on June 16 in New York City.
The announcement was made just nine days after Mason and Winston worked together on the 67th annual Grammy Awards telecast. Winston was an executive producer of the show, along with Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins.
âWe are thrilled to honor Harvey and Ben as our 2025 UJA Music Visionaries of the Year,â Daniel Glass, founder/CEO of Glassnote Records, chair of UJAâs Music Division and co-chair of UJAâs overall Entertainment division, said in a statement. âThey have not only shaped the future of sound and storytelling, but Harvey and Ben also brought that same passion and vision to this yearâs Grammy weekend and award show, respectively, rising to the occasion in the wake of devastation to help showcase musicâs unparalleled power to heal, unite, and uplift. Beyond their remarkable contributions to the industry, their commitment to making a meaningful impact truly sets them apart.â
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As the first Black CEO of The Recording Academy, Mason has diversified the voting membership and revised rules and processes to make the Grammy Awards more transparent, inclusive and reflective of a wide variety of music genres. He has also enlarged the Academyâs role as a service organization for music creators and restructured the organization to position it for global growth.
Mason is the founder of Harvey Mason Media and a five-time Grammy nominee. He has written and/or produced songs for such artists as Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Aretha Franklin, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson.
Winston is a producer, director and founding partner of Fulwell Entertainment. He has won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards â eight for various iterations of the James Corden vehicle Carpool Karaoke; three more for other programs hosted by Corden (including the 2016 Tony Awards); and two for acclaimed variety specials headlined by pop superstars: Adele: One Night Only and Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
In 2019, Winston received eight Primetime Emmy nominations â a one-year record for an individual. In 2024, he produced the Paris to Los Angeles Olympics handover, a prelude to the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Funds raised at the luncheon will go toward UJAâs annual campaign supporting the work of confronting antisemitism, promoting inclusion and caring for New Yorkers of all backgrounds. A portion of the proceeds will also support UJAâs Music for Youth, which helps young people connect to life-changing music programs.
Working with a network of hundreds of nonprofits, UJA extends its reach from New York to Israel to nearly 70 other countries around the world, touching the lives of 5.5 million people annually. Every year, UJA-Federation provides approximately $180 million in grants. For more information, visit ujafedny.org.
The Recording Academy raised almost $9 million on Sunday (Feb. 2), the day of the 67th annual Grammy Awards, to aid in relief efforts related to the devastating wildfires that hit the Los Angeles area beginning on Jan. 7. Over the course of the entire Grammy weekend, the Recording Academy and MusiCares raised more than […]
We all know that Prince was a musical genius, but at the Recording Academyâs Special Merit Awards on Saturday (Feb. 1), Jimmy Jam, formerly of The Time, told of other keys to Princeâs success â he was willing to outwork anybody and he could be something of a taskmaster. âHe had the best work ethic of anybody I ever met,â Jam said flatly.
Jam recalled workshopping The Timeâs 1982 hit â777-9311â (which Prince co-wrote with Morris Day). Prince kept giving Jam notes, pushing him to improve various aspects of the performance and choreography. Some might have chafed at all the notes, but Jam took Princeâs tutoring the right way. âWhat that lesson taught me was that he saw me as better than I saw myself.â Jam added that he has tried to pass that on. âI want to enlighten other people to their greatness.â
Prince was one of seven artists to receive lifetime achievement awards at this yearâs ceremony, which was held at its usual home, the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. Lifetime achievement awards also went to  The Clash, Frankie Valli, Frankie Beverly, Dr. Bobby Jones, Taj Mahal and Roxanne Shante. The trustees award recipients were Erroll Garner, Glyn Johns and Tania LeĂłn. Dr. Leo Beranek was the Technical Grammy Award honoree.
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Several people spoke in the Prince tribute â Princeâs niece Rihanna Nelson (accompanied by her daughter and her twin sons, who wore tuxes with tennis shoes); Jam and Jerome Benton of The Time; Andre Cymone and Bobby Z. of Princeâs backing bands; Princeâs longtime manager/attorney L. Londell McMillan, and Charles F. Spicer Jr., a partner in managing Princeâs legacy.
âHe was an advocate for artist rights,â McMillan said. âHe didnât put âSlaveâ on his face just for fun. He wanted to take a stand.â
Bobby Z. said he met Prince when he was 19. âHe was one of the most gifted human beings that ever lived; the greatest entertainer that ever lived,â a line that received applause from the audience.
Several awards were presented posthumously. R&B singer Beverly died in September; Prince and Dr. Beranek both died in 2016; Joe Strummer of The Clash died in 2002; and Garner, the composer of the pop standard âMisty,â died in 1977. The Recording Academy has presented trustees awards since 1967 (classical conductor George Solti and his producer John Culshaw were the first recipients). Itâs remarkable that it took the academy 48 years to get around to Garner.
Most of the special merit award recipients every year are advanced in age. This year, four are in their 80s. Valli is 90.
Producer/engineer Glyn Johns, 82, joked about that in his acceptance speech. âHaving been notified of this award in November, my main objective has to remain alive until today. Well, I made it!,â he said.
Valli made note of how long it took the Recording Academy to get around to him. Valli has never won a Grammy, on his own or in the Four Seasons, which landed their first three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962-63. âThis has been an incredible evening,â he said. âI donât know what took so long, but thatâs the way it goes.â
Chuck D of Public Enemy (which received a lifetime achievement award in 2020) accepted for The Clash. The rapper marveled at the breadth of talent being honored on the night, singling out jazz pianist Error Garner, rock producer/engineer Glyn Johns and rapper Roxanne Shante. He read an acceptance speech from the surviving members of The Clash, which concluded with their thanks to Chuck D for accepting the award for them. âAs you heard our voice, we also heard yours,â a nice example of cross-genre respect.
Shanteâs 1985 R&B hit âRoxanneâs Revenge,â an answer record to UTFOâs âRoxanne, Roxanne,â was described as the first rap diss track. Shante is 55, making her the youngest of this yearâs honorees. Shante said when she learned of her award, she finally felt she had made it. She said when an artist enters the business, they want three things â a record that gets on the Billboard charts, to get paid for it, and to win a Grammy. Now, she said, she has realized all three goals. Shante also paid her respects to Biz Markie, the âJust a Friendâ hitmaker who died in 2021 at age 57. âI lost my hip-hop brother,â she said.
Taj Mahal was accompanied by two of his daughters as he accepted his award. He suggested that his path in music may have been pre-ordained. His parents met at a Chick Webb/Ella Fitzgerald concert at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in 1937.
Most of the awards were accepted by the recipients, or family members, in the case of the recipients who have died. The award to Frankie Beverly was accepted by his son, Anthony Beverly, and by Ronald âRoameâ Lowry, a longtime member of Beverlyâs group, Maze. Lowry said that the groupâs classic âBefore I Let Goâ is âthe most danceable song about breaking up.â
The award to acoustics expert Dr. Leo Beranek, the Technical Grammy Award honoree, was accepted by his son, Tom Haynes. âMy dad accomplished many things, working until he was 87 on concert halls in Japan,â he said. Beranek died in 2016 at age 102.
The academy also presented its music educator of the year award to Adrian L. Maclin of Cordova High School outside Memphis, Tenn., who said when he was a boy his dream was to become an artist and win a Grammy. His path segued into music education and now he has won a Grammy by turning other kids onto music.
The final presentation of the night was the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award. This was the third year the award has been presented; the first since it was named in honor of the late singer, actor and activist, whose daughters Gina and Shari Belafonte were present. The award originated as a Special Merit Award but was recategorized as a CEOâs Merit Award.
Iman Jordan, who won for his song âDeliver,â noted that âNina Simone said that art should reflect the times â and I wasnât hearing much of that.â He co-wrote the winning song with his father, Roy Gartrell, along with Ariel Loh and Tam Jones.
Many have said that the Special Merit Award ceremony is warmer and more congenial than the following nightâs Grammys. But one thing is missing. There are video packages before every presentation, but not a note of live music. If nothing else, the music educator award could include a performance by some of his/her prized pupils, and the winner of the Song for Social Change award could be performed.
Several of this yearâs recipients had already received major honors. Prince was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, received a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2010, and was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in July 2024 (he had been voted in while he was alive, but scheduling the presentation proved difficult).
Valli was voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Four Seasons) in 1990, followed by The Clash in 2003 and producer Glyn Johns in 2012. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly received a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2012. León received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2022.
Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.
Trustees Awards are presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording.
Technical Grammy Awards are presented to individuals, companies, organizations or institutions who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
On Thursday, Jan. 30, artist, songwriter and producer Kirk Franklin will be celebrated at the fourth annual Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Franklin will receive the Black Music Icon Award, which celebrates Black music creators whose âcommitment to their craft has profoundly shaped […]
Prince, The Clash and Frankie Valli are among the artists who were selected to receive lifetime achievement awards from the Recording Academy in 2025. The awards will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Feb. 1 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
The event, always one of the most memorable and musical of Grammy Week, will also honor the recipients of trustees awards (which go to non-performers) and a Technical Grammy Award recipient.
The other lifetime achievement award recipients are Frankie Beverly, Dr. Bobby Jones, Taj Mahal and Roxanne Shante. The trustees award recipients are Erroll Garner, Glyn Johns and Tania LeĂłn. Dr. Leo Beranek is the Technical Grammy Award honoree.
Several of the awards will be presented posthumously. R&B singer Beverly just died three months ago; Prince and Dr. Beranek both died in 2016; Joe Strummer of The Clash died in 2002; and Garner, the composer of the pop standard âMisty,â died in 1977.
Several of this yearâs recipients have already received major honors. Prince was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, received a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2010, and was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in July (he had been voted in while he was alive, but scheduling the presentation proved difficult).
Valli was voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Four Seasons) in 1990, followed by The Clash in 2003 and producer Glyn Johns in 2012. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly received a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2012. LeĂłn received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2022.
âItâs an amazing privilege to honor this eclectic group of music icons during the yearâs biggest week in music,â Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said in a statement. âEach of this yearâs Special Merit Award recipients has left an indelible mark on music, from paving the way for others to innovation that forever has changed the trajectory of the musical landscape. We canât wait to celebrate this group and their achievements in February.âÂ
Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.
Trustees Awards are presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording.
Technical Grammy Awards are presented to individuals, companies, organizations or institutions who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
Hereâs a complete list of  the 2025 Special Merit Award recipients.
Frankie Beverly (Lifetime Achievement Award)