Prince To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award From Recording Academy
Prince, The Clash and Frankie Valli are among the artists who have been selected to receive lifetime achievement awards from the Recording Academy in 2025.
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The event will also honour the recipients of trustees awards (which go to non-performers) and a Technical Grammy Award recipient.
The other lifetime achievement award recipients are Frankie Beverly, Dr. Bobby Jones, Taj Mahal and Roxanne Shante. The trustees award recipients are Erroll Garner, Glyn Johns and Tania León. Dr. Leo Beranek is the Technical Grammy Award honouree.
Several of the awards will be presented posthumously. R&B singer Beverly just died three months ago; Prince and Dr Beranek both died in 2016; Joe Strummer of The Clash died in 2002; and Garner, the composer of the pop standard “Misty,” died in 1977.
Among many honours, Prince has previously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, received a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2010, and was honoured by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in July.
“It’s an amazing privilege to honor this eclectic group of music icons during the year’s biggest week in music,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said in a statement. “Each of this year’s Special Merit Award recipients has left an indelible mark on music, from paving the way for others to innovation that forever has changed the trajectory of the musical landscape. We can’t wait to celebrate this group and their achievements in February.”
2025 Special Merit Award recipients – complete list
Frankie Beverly (Lifetime Achievement Award)
The Clash (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Dr Bobby Jones (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Taj Mahal (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Prince (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Roxanne Shante (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Frankie Valli (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Erroll Garner (Trustees Award)
Glyn Johns (Trustees Award)
Tania León (Trustees Award)
Dr. Leo Beranek (Technical Grammy Award)
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