The Recording Academy®’s Particular Benefit Awards Ceremony celebrating the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award and Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients will return throughout GRAMMY® Week on Feb. 1 on the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Frankie Beverly, The Conflict, Dr. Bobby Jones, Taj Mahal, Prince, Roxanne Shante, and Frankie Valli are the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honorees; Erroll Garner, Glyn Johns and Tania León are the Trustees Award recipients; and Dr. Leo Beranek is the Technical GRAMMY Award honoree. Sponsored by Budweiser, the occasion will have a good time the honorees’ excellent contributions to the recording area
“It’s a tremendous privilege to honor this eclectic group of music icons through the 12 months’s largest week in music,” mentioned Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Every of this 12 months’s Particular Benefit Award recipients has left an indelible mark on music, from paving the way in which for others to innovation that without end has modified the trajectory of the musical panorama. We are able to’t wait to have a good time this group and their achievements in February.”
Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees: This Particular Benefit Award is offered by vote of the Recording Academy’s Nationwide Trustees to performers* who, throughout their lifetimes, have made artistic contributions of excellent inventive significance to the sphere of recording.
• Over his 40-year profession, iconic singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer Prince^ offered over 150 million data worldwide, rating among the many best-selling musicians of all time. With the discharge of 39 albums, and 1000’s of unreleased songs in his notorious Vault, spanning funk, rhythm and blues, rock, new wave, soul, blues, jazz, and hip-hop, his work acquired widespread crucial reward. Prince was honored with seven GRAMMYs all through his illustrious profession—and three of his albums, 1999, Purple Rain and Signal o’ the Instances—have been inducted into the GRAMMY Corridor Of Fame®. He was additionally inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Corridor of Fame in 2006, the Rhythm and Blues Corridor of Fame in 2016, and the Songwriters Corridor of Fame in 2024. A champion for artists’ rights worldwide, Prince was a mentor, a founding member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, and a philanthropist, giving privately to numerous organizations, musicians, charities, and causes. Prince is taken into account by many to be the best artist of all time.
• Roxanne Shante is a trailblazer in hip-hop and one of many first nationally-recognized feminine rappers. At 14 years of age, she launched her debut single, “Roxanne’s Revenge,” which was licensed Platinum in 2022. The observe, a response file to UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne,” sparked The Roxanne Wars, inspiring over 86 response songs. She turned the primary feminine rapper to attain platinum singles and gold albums, solidifying her pioneering function in hip-hop. Shante additionally helped launch the careers of hip-hop icons, together with Huge Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, MC Shan, and Nas. She presently hosts the radio present “Have A Good Day” on LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Radio on SiriusXM, which reaches seven million listeners every day. Her distinctive voice has additionally led to voice-over work in video video games and animated movies. In 2023, Shante was honored with the NAACP Legacy Award, celebrating her contributions to hip-hop and past.
• Frankie Beverly^, a Philadelphia native, started his musical journey performing in church at a younger age. As a youngster, he fashioned The Butlers, a music group that later developed into Frankie Beverly’s Uncooked Soul. Frankie and the band’s rise to prominence started within the mid-Seventies after capturing the eye of the legendary Marvin Gaye, who invited the group to tour with him as his opening act. Whereas on tour with Gaye, and together with his encouragement, the group modified their identify to Maze that includes Frankie Beverly. Formally arriving on the scene in 1977, Frankie led Maze to a string of indelible hits together with “Earlier than I Let Go,” “Comfortable Feelin’s,” “Girl Of Magic,” and “Workin’ Collectively.” With Maze, Frankie and the group continued to thrive with a collection of influential albums, together with Pleasure And Ache, Dwell In New Orleans, We Are One, Can’t Cease The Love, and Dwell In Los Angeles, solidifying Frankie and the group’s legacy.
• Shaped in 1976 within the vanguard of British punk, The Conflict—Joe Strummer^, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Nick “Topper” Headon—turned probably the most iconic rock bands of the period, identified for his or her clever protest and classy rise up within the late ’70s and early ’80s. Having their first U.S. hit in 1982, they have been pioneers in integrating parts of militant reggae, dub, funk, jazz, and hip-hop into their music, influencing fellow bands, musicians and DJs alike, then and now. Their recorded legacy spans 5 albums—three single data, The Conflict, Give ‘Em Sufficient Rope and Fight Rock, one double album London Calling, and one triple album Sandinista!, with their music confronting points similar to racism, violence, medication, love, and police corruption. As detailed in NME, their manifesto stands firmly for anti-fascism, anti-violence, anti-racism, and inventive expression. The Conflict’s legacy stays immense, marked by their induction into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame in 2003 and their ever-expanding fan base.
• Gospel vocalist, tv host and radio host Dr. Bobby Jones launched his leisure profession in 1976 on WSM-TV with the debut of “Nashville Gospel.” Constructing on its success, he turned the host and government producer of “Bobby Jones Gospel,” which premiered on Black Leisure Tv in 1980 and have become the longest-running unique collection in cable tv historical past. Jones graduated from Tennessee State College and acquired his Bachelor of Science (B.S.). He acquired his Physician of Training (EdD) diploma from Vanderbilt College. Jones was appointed Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Dominica in 2006. As a musician, he has toured with the musical group New Life and the Nashville Tremendous Choir, and constructed a discography spanning 14 releases, amongst different achievements. He’s acquired over 1,500 awards, together with a GRAMMY for Greatest Soul Gospel Efficiency By A Duo Or Group for “I’m So Glad I’m Standing Right here As we speak.”
• In a profession spanning six many years, four-time GRAMMY winner Taj Mahal has helped popularize and reshape the scope of the blues and personify the idea of “World Music,” years earlier than the phrase existed. He has explored and integrated numerous musical kinds into his astonishing physique of labor, and he has collaborated with an unlimited vary of musicians, together with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Angélique Kidjo, Ziggy Marley, and others. Along with his group, the Rising Sons—one of many first interracial bands—he opened for Otis Redding and The Temptations, and mingled with giants like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. He started his solo profession with such pioneering tasks as Taj Mahal, The Natch’l Blues, and the expansive double album Large Step/De Outdated People at Residence. Taj has been inducted into the Blues Corridor of Fame and honored with the Americana Music Affiliation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Frankie Valli’s profession with the 4 Seasons, alongside together with his solo success, has spawned numerous hit singles and left an indelible mark on in style tradition. With unforgettable tunes like “Sherry” and “Stroll Like A Man,” Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons have offered over 175 million data worldwide. His long-lasting profession impressed the overwhelming success of the Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning Broadway musical “Jersey Boys”—the thirteenth longest-running Broadway present in historical past—which chronicles his journey and options his biggest hits with the 4 Seasons. In 2015, his mega-hit “Huge Ladies Don’t Cry” was inducted into the GRAMMY Corridor Of Fame, a testomony to the enduring legacy of his music. His most up-to-date album, A Contact of Jazz, was launched in 2021 and marked his first-ever foray into jazz. Valli continues to captivate audiences worldwide as his performances resonate throughout generations and borders.
Trustees Award Honorees: This Particular Benefit Award is offered by vote of the Recording Academy’s Nationwide Trustees to people who, throughout their careers in music, have made important contributions, apart from efficiency*, to the sphere of recording. See previous recipients right here (*by way of 1983, recipients included performers).
• Erroll Garner^ was a globally celebrated pianist, composer and pioneer for artists’ rights. Famend for his genre-defying artistry, Garner revealed over 200 compositions, together with the long-lasting ballad “Misty,” which continues to captivate listeners 70 years after its recording. His best-selling album, Live performance by the Sea, was the primary jazz album to attain over $1 million price of gross sales. Its 2015 GRAMMY and NAACP-nominated reissue debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts and gained the Jazz Journalists Affiliation’s Award for Historic Recording of the Yr. He has loved intensive airplay, and through the launch of the 12-album Octave Remastered Collection in 2019 and 2020, Garner was the most-played artist on jazz radio nationwide. Honored with a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame and the ASCAP Pied Piper Award, Garner’s vibrant legacy continues to encourage audiences worldwide.
• Glyn Johns is a pioneering producer and sound engineer who has helped form a number of the most influential recordings in trendy music historical past. His profession started in 1959 when he rapidly set himself aside as a curious and experimental engineer, gaining recognition as presumably the primary engineer to function on a contract foundation. From his early days at IBC Studios in London to his enduring legacy with rock’s most legendary acts, his huge discography options legends such because the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, the Eagles, Eric Clapton, and The Conflict amongst many others. In 2012, his immeasurable contributions have been acknowledged when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame with the Award for Musical Excellence. His legacy in rock music is profound, together with his methods and ethics persevering with to affect trendy producers and engineers.
• Cuban-born musician Tania León is an acclaimed composer, conductor and educator. She has been commissioned by orchestras worldwide, held Carnegie Corridor’s Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair for its 2023-2024 season, and presently serves as Composer-in-Residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. She studied underneath Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, and has guest-conducted the New York Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Guanajuato, and Johannesburg Philharmonic, amongst others. She has lectured globally and acquired Honorary Doctorate Levels from 10 establishments. In 2021, she was the primary Latin American girl to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music. She acquired a Kennedy Middle Honor in 2022, the Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize from Northwestern College in 2023, and have become the primary girl to earn Spain’s XIX Premio SGAE for Iberian American Music Tomás Luis de Victoria in 2023. In 2010, León based Composers Now with the mission of empowering residing composers, and he or she presently serves because the Inventive Director.
Technical GRAMMY Award Honoree: This Particular Benefit Award is offered by vote of the Producers & Engineers Wing® Advisory Council and Chapter Committees and ratification by the Recording Academy’s Nationwide Trustees to people and/or firms/organizations/establishments who’ve made contributions of excellent technical significance to the recording area. See previous recipients right here.
• Dr. Leo Beranek^ was a famend American acoustician, inventor, professor, and entrepreneur whose experience laid the muse for contemporary acoustical engineering, notably in noise management and live performance corridor acoustics. He authored 12 books, together with the basic Acoustics, which turned a cornerstone reference for each college students {and professional} engineers. Dr. Beranek’s groundbreaking work within the Forties at Harvard College’s Electro-Acoustic Laboratory led to the event of the anechoic chamber, a revolutionary house designed to soak up all reflections of sound and isolate exterior noise, permitting the gathering of uncompromised acoustic knowledge. Famend for his experience, he served as an acoustical marketing consultant for live performance halls all over the world, together with Tanglewood, the summer time residence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Amongst his many accolades, Beranek acquired the Nationwide Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor for achievements in science and expertise, awarded by President George W. Bush.
