Category Archives: Grammy

Recording Academy Sets 2026 Special Merit Awards Honoring Santana, Khan, Cher and More

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The Recording Academy will honor a group of music legends at its 2026 Special Merit Awards Ceremony during GRAMMY Week, returning to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on January 31.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon and Whitney Houston. Trustees Awards will be presented to songwriter Bernie Taupin, pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, and music executive Sylvia Rhone. Composer and technologist John Chowning will receive the Technical Grammy Award.

The annual ceremony recognizes artists, executives and innovators whose contributions have had a lasting impact on the recording industry. The Special Merit Awards are presented by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Trustees, with the Technical Grammy selected by the Producers & Engineers Wing advisory committees.

The event takes place on the eve of the 2026 GRAMMY Awards and is part of the Academy’s GRAMMY Week programming.

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Recording Academy to Honor Jimmy Douglass at Producers & Engineers Wing 25th Anniversary Celebration

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jimmy-douglassThe Recording Academy will mark the 25th anniversary of its Producers & Engineers Wing during GRAMMY Week 2026 by honoring five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy “The Senator” Douglass. The celebration will take place on January 28, just days ahead of the 2026 GRAMMY Awards.

Douglass, a veteran producer, engineer, and mixer, is being recognized for a career spanning more than four decades and collaborations across multiple genres. His credits range from early work with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Foreigner, and Led Zeppelin to later collaborations with Timbaland on projects by JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and others.

Originally scheduled to be honored in 2025, Douglass’ recognition was postponed following changes to GRAMMY Week programming amid Los Angeles wildfire response efforts. The 2026 event will now coincide with the Producers & Engineers Wing’s milestone anniversary.

Founded in 2001, the Producers & Engineers Wing represents thousands of music creators working behind the scenes in recording, mixing, production, and audio technology. The group has played a key role in shaping technical standards, education initiatives, and innovation within the recording industry.

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Republic Records Founders Monte and Avery Lipman Named 2026 GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honorees

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Republic Records co-founders Monte Lipman and Avery Lipman will be honored with the GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons award at the Recording Academy and Clive Davis’ 2026 Pre-GRAMMY Gala. The event is set for Jan. 31, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton, the night before the 2026 GRAMMY Awards.

The Lipman brothers launched Republic Records in 1995 and have since overseen one of the industry’s most dominant modern music operations. Under their leadership, Republic has repeatedly topped Billboard metrics, earning Hot 100 Label of the Year in 11 of the past 12 years and maintaining a high-impact presence across pop, hip-hop, alternative, and emerging genres. The pair were recently appointed to oversee Universal Music Group’s East Coast label group, which includes Island, Def Jam, Mercury, and Republic.

Beyond their commercial track record, the brothers have been active in philanthropy, supporting medical research, arts programs, and community initiatives. They have been recognized by organizations including City of Hope, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the T.J. Martell Foundation, and UJA-Federation, among others.

The Pre-GRAMMY Gala remains one of the recording industry’s most closely watched annual events, gathering major artists, executives, and creatives for an evening that honors influential contributors to the business.

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Recording Academy Sets “A GRAMMY Celebration of Latin Music” Special for Dec. 28 on CBS

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latin-grammyThe Recording Academy and CBS will close out the year with A GRAMMY Celebration of Latin Music, a two-hour primetime special spotlighting the cultural and commercial impact of Latin music in the U.S. The event airs Sunday, Dec. 28 on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

Wilmer Valderrama and Roselyn Sánchez will co-host the telecast, which features performances, tributes, and conversations across genres. The lineup includes Ángela Aguilar, Gloria Estefan, Luis Fonsi, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Maren Morris, Prince Royce, Jon Secada, and members of the Broadway production Buena Vista Social Club, among others.

The special also includes appearances from figures such as Daddy Yankee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno, Carlos Santana, Emilio Estefan, and John Leguizamo. Filmed in Miami, the program is produced by The POPGarage and GRAMMY Studios, with José Tillán and Harvey Mason jr. serving as executive producers.

The broadcast marks the Academy’s latest standalone music special following its recent push to expand GRAMMY-branded programming outside the annual awards telecast.

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