On Oct. 13 the Recording Academy celebrated its 2017 class of Special Merit Awards recipients with the PBS TV special "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends."

The honorees were Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Shirley Caesar, Ahmad Jamal, Charley Pride, Jimmie Rodgers, Nina Simone, Sly Stone, and the Velvet Underground; Trustee Awards went to producer/arranger/songwriter Thom Bell; record executive Mo Ostin; and recording executive, A&R man and music publisher Ralph S. Peer. Also honored were Technical GRAMMY Award recipient Alan Dower Blumlein the 2017 Music Educator Award recipient Keith Hancock. 

To honor each recipient, world-class artists were invited to pay tribute, with musicians such as Andra Day saluting Simone, Dionne Warwick honoring Bell and Kirk Franklin feting Caesar, among others.

Catch up on some of the amazing performances from the PBS broadcast through our exclusive photo gallery.