The Recording Academy will honor its 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients with an awards ceremony and live tribute concert on April 23 at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" will be produced in partnership with Thirteen Productions as part of PBS' "Great Performances" series, and is set to air later this year. Led by GRAMMY winner Don Was as musical director, the tribute concert will feature rare performances by some of the honorees and showcase never-before-seen renditions of their songs by artists they've inspired.
This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Ruth Brown; Celia Cruz; Earth, Wind & Fire; Herbie Hancock; Jefferson Airplane; Linda Ronstadt; and Run DMC. John Cage, Fred Foster and Chris Strachwitz are Trustees Award honorees; and EMT and Dr. Harvey Fletcher are Technical GRAMMY Award recipients. Also being honored is Phillip Riggs, this year's recipient of the Music Educator Award. Performers will be announced shortly.
Previously held during GRAMMY Week, this is the first time The Recording Academy has celebrated the Special Merit Awards with a stand-alone event and musical tribute. In addition to the concert, special celebrity guests will present recipients with their awards and guests will enjoy video packages celebrating each of the honorees' contributions to the music industry and our cultural heritage.
"For many years now, we've wanted to honor Special Merit Awards recipients on a larger scale with an event like 'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends,' so I'm delighted to partner with Thirteen Productions and PBS to bring this worthy celebration to a bigger stage," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "The contributions of our honorees are innumerable, and we look forward to an unforgettable evening as we pay tribute to their exceptional accomplishments."
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
Tickets for "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" will be on sale via Ticketmaster beginning Tuesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. PT.
