The Recording Academy has announced which musicians are going to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award this year. They are industry icons who've contributed to music greatly.
The list includes Queen, Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, and Emmylou Harris. The Academy is also set to give out its Special Merit Awards to The Meters, Louis Jordan, and Hal Blaine, drummer for the backup collective Wrecking Crew.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, determined by the Academy's National Board of Trustees, is given to artists who have made significant or iconic contributions in the recording industry. They'll be handed out in a ceremony and celebratory concert this summer, following the main 60th Grammy Awards later this January.
"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, the Recording Academy's president and chief executive. "Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy."
Queen is a band that needs no introduction, of course. Nor does Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, and Emmylou Harris for that matter. In fact, maybe that's exactly what it takes to get the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kidding aside, all these folks have had tremendous impact on the music industry and millions of lives. Collectively, their music has inspired countless other musicians and enriched the landscape of music. Their songs continue to be auditory fossils of memories both happy and painful.
Between them, the Lifetime Achievement Recipients have collectively sold hundreds of millions of albums worldwide and have topped the charts multiple times over the years. Plus, they've all probably changed the music scenes in ways we simply can't even comprehend. If anything, it's a little embarrassing for the Recording Academy to have taken so long before handing out these accolades to the recipients.
The Academy additionally announced two other Special Merit Awards: Bill Graham, Seymour Stein, and John Williams are set to receive the Trustees Award, while engineer Tony Agnello and inventor Richard Factor — two of the people who helped build audio, broadcast, and communications equipment company Eventide — will receive the Technical Grammy Award for their work.
The 60th Grammys will take place on Jan. 28 at the Madison Square Garden. Among those vying for the Album of the Year prize are Childish Gambino, Jay-Z, Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, and Bruno Mars. Gambino, P!nk, Little Big Town, and Lady Gaga are all slated to perform at the show.
