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Linda Ronstadt's Timeless Appeal

Aaron Neville proclaims Ronstadt a "premier singer of any time" and recounts the making of their GRAMMY-winning hit "Don't Know Much"

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2016 - 12:00 am

("GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" — a special all-star concert honoring The Recording Academy's 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients — will air Oct. 14 from 9–11:30 p.m. on PBS. Linda Ronstadt, who received a 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy, will be among the artists saluted.)

Linda Ronstadt is one of the premier singers of any time, and also a beautiful person. I'm so glad to have her music to listen to. It soothes me on long flights. From her songs with the Stone Poneys and her songs with Nelson Riddle to her mariachi music and Cry Like A Rainstorm — Howl Like The Wind, you can feel every emotion.

I'm thankful that we are on the planet at the same time and it was an honor and a privilege to record with her. She's a strong singer who could belt it out, and then come down to the sweetest most intricate part of her voice. It's like her voice is a painting meant to be here forever, and she made it so easy to sing with her. She told me that our voices were married.

The first song we actually sang together was "Ave Maria" in harmony. The Neville Brothers were playing at Pete Fountain's club during the World's Fair in 1984 in New Orleans. After her show with Riddle, Linda came to see us. Someone told us that she was in the audience and I dedicated a song to her and called her up to sing some doo-wop. She told the press that it was the highlight of her tour. She felt like Cinderella at the ball because we were her favorite band.

When I asked her to come back to New Orleans to join myself and Allen Toussaint for our annual concert to raise money for New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness, a nonprofit I founded with Toussaint in 1985, she quickly agreed. We have so much respect for each other's voices.

She and Peter Asher said that we should record together, and now our songs are a part of history. I can remember being at the studio to record with Linda and I couldn't wait. I had fallen in love with the songs that we were going to record; I was ecstatic. It was five years from the night I called her onstage to sing with us in New Orleans. George Massenburg was the engineer and Asher and Steve Tyrell co-produced. Linda and I sang "Don't Know Much" and when we finished I said to her, "Meet you at the GRAMMYs." I was joking, and yet not joking because it was that great a song, and also a great performance. So, like I said, the rest is history.

I don't know much, but I know that Linda deserves to be honored with The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

(A co-founder of the GRAMMY-winning band the Neville Brothers, Aaron Neville has garnered four GRAMMYs, including two with Linda Ronstadt for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "Don't Know Much" (1989) and "All My Life" (1990). Neville's 1966 solo hit "Tell It Like It Is" was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2015.)

 

Kendrick Lamar Press Photo 2024
Kendrick Lamar

Photo: pgLang

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Who Discovered Kendrick Lamar? 9 Questions About The 'GNX' Rapper Answered

Did you know Kendrick Lamar was discovered at just 16 years old? And why did he leave TDE? GRAMMY.com dives deep into some of the most popular questions surrounding the multi-GRAMMY winner.

GRAMMYs/Nov 25, 2024 - 11:18 pm

Editor's note: This article was updated to include the latest information about Kendrick Lamar's 2024 album release 'GNX,' and up-to-date GRAMMY wins and nominations with additional reporting by Nina Frazier.

When the world crowns you the king of a genre as competitive as rap, your presence — and lack thereof — is palpable. After a five-year hiatus, Kendrick Lamar declaratively stomped back on stage with his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, to explain why the crown no longer fits him.

Two years later, Lamar circles back to celebrate the west on 2024's GNX, a 12-track release that revels in the root of his love for hip-hop and California culture, from the lowriders to the rappers that laid claim to the golden state.

“My baby boo, you either heal n—s or you kill n—s/ Both is true, it take some tough skin just to deal with you” Lamar raps on "gloria" featuring SZA, a track that opines on his relationship with the genre.

The Compton-born rapper (who was born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth) wasn't always championed as King Kendrick. In hip-hop, artists have to earn that moniker, and Lamar's enthroning occurred in 2013 when he delivered a now-infamous verse on Big Sean's "Control."

"I'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the King of New York, King of the Coast; one hand I juggle 'em both," Lamar raps before name-dropping some of the top rappers of the time, from Drake to J.Cole.

Whether you've been a fan of Lamar since before his crown-snatching verse or you find yourself in need of a crash course on the 37-year-old rapper's illustrious career, GRAMMY.com answers nine questions that will paint the picture of Lamar's more than decade-long reign.

Who Discovered Kendrick Lamar?

Due to the breakthrough success of his Aftermath Entertainment debut (good kid, m.A.A.d city), most people attribute Kendrick Lamar's discovery to fellow Compton legend Dr. Dre. But seven years before Dre's label came calling, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith saw potential in a 16-year-old rapper by the name of K.Dot.

Lamar's first mixtape in 2004 was enough for Tiffith's Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) to offer the aspiring rapper a deal with the label in 2005. However, Lamar would later learn that Tiffith's impact on his life dates back to multiple encounters between his father and the TDE founder, which Lamar raps about in his 2017 track "DUCKWORTH."

How Many Albums Has Kendrick Lamar Released?

Kendrick Lamar has released six studio albums: Section.80 (2011), Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012), To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) DAMN. (2017),Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), and GNX (2024). Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. received both Rap Album Of The Year and Album Of The Year GRAMMY nominations. 

Across the board, it's "HUMBLE." The 2017 track is Lamar's only solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (he also reached No. 1 status with Taylor Swift on their remix of her 1989 hit "Bad Blood"), and as of press time, "HUMBLE." is also his most-streamed song on Spotify and YouTube.

How Many GRAMMYs Has Kendrick Lamar Won?

As of November 2024, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 57 GRAMMY nominations overall, solidifying his place as one of the most nominated artists in GRAMMY history and the second-most nominated rapper of all time, behind Jay-Z. Five of Lamar's 17 GRAMMY wins are tied to DAMN., which also earned Lamar the status of becoming the first rapper ever to win a Pulitzer Prize.

His most recent wins include three awards at the 2023 GRAMMYs, which included two for his album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Best Rap Performance for "The Hillbillies" with Baby Keem

Does Kendrick Lamar Have Any Famous Relatives?

He has two: Rapper Baby Keem and former Los Angeles Lakers star Nick Young are both cousins of his.

Lamar appeared on three tracks — "family ties," "range brothers" and "vent" — from Keem's debut album, The Melodic Blue. Keem then returned the favor for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, featuring on "Savior (Interlude)" and "Savior" as well as receiving production and writing credits on "N95" and "Die Hard."

Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Baby Keem On Inspiring Rap's Next Generation, Why "Producer Artists" Are The Best & The Likelihood Of A Kendrick Lamar Collab Album

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Wear A Crown Of Thorns?

Lamar can be seen sporting a crown of thorns on the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album cover. He has sported the look for multiple performances since the project's release.

Dave Free described the striking headgear as, "a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens."

Holy symbolism and the blurred line between kings and gods are themes Lamar revisits often on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. He uses lines like "Kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior" and songs like "Mirror" to reject the unforeseen, God-like expectations that came with his King of Hip-Hop status.

According to Vogue, the Tiffany & Co. designed crown features 8,000 cobblestone micro pave diamonds and took over 1,300 hours of work by four craftsmen to construct.

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Leave TDE?

After five albums, four mixtapes, one compilation project, an EP, and a GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: The Album, Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) confirmed that Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was the Compton rapper's last project under the iconic West Coast label. 

According to Lamar, his departure was about growth as opposed to any internal troubles. "May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling," Lamar wrote on his website in August 2021. "There's beauty in completion."

TDE president Punch expressed a similar sentiment in an interview with Mic. "We watched him grow from a teenager up into an established grown man, a businessman, and one of the greatest artists of all time," he said. "So it's time to move on and try new things and venture out."

Before Lamar's official exit from TDE, he launched a new venture called pgLang — a multi-disciplinary service company for creators, co-founded with longtime collaborator Dave Free — in 2020. The young company has already collaborated with Cash App, Converse and Louis Vuitton.

Has Kendrick Lamar Ever Performed at The Super Bowl?

Yes, Kendrick Lamar performed in the halftime show for Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in 2022, alongside fellow rap legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem, as well as R&B icon Mary J. Blige. Anderson .Paak and 50 Cent also made special appearances during the star-studded performance. As if performing at the Super Bowl in your home city wasn't enough, the Compton rapper also got to watch his home team, the Los Angeles Rams, hoist the Lombardi trophy at the end of the night.

Three years after his first Super Bowl halftime performance, Lamar will return to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Feb. 9, 2025 — just one week after the 2025 GRAMMYs — at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. 

Is Kendrick Lamar On Tour?

Yes. Kendrick Lamar is currently scheduled to hit the road with SZA on the Grand National Tour beginning in May 2025. Lamar concluded The Big Steppers Tour in 2022, where he was joined by pgLang artists Baby Keem and Tanna Leone. The tour included a four-show homecoming at L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena in September 2022, followed by performances in Europe,Australia, and New Zealand through late 2022. 

Currently, there are no upcoming tour dates scheduled, but fans should check back for updates following the release of GNX.

Latest In Rap Music, News & Videos

GRAMMY winners Antonio Sánchez, Linda Ronstadt, iLe, Kabaka Pyramid, White Sun with their awards
(Clockwise from left) Antonio Sánchez, Linda Ronstadt, iLe, Kabaka Pyramid, White Sun

Photos: Jason Kempin/WireImage; Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images; Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Benjo Arwas/Contour by Getty Images; Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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The Impact Of A GRAMMY Win: Life After The Award

What happens after Music's Biggest Night? GRAMMY winners Linda Ronstadt, White Sun, Kabaka Pyramid, iLe, and Antonio Sánchez reflect on their victories and discuss how winning a GRAMMY Award has impacted their careers.

GRAMMYs/Nov 7, 2024 - 04:57 pm

GRAMMY season is upon us  — which means voting for submitted works, watching the 2025 GRAMMY nominations on Friday, Nov. 8, and seeing who will take home golden gramophones at the 2025 GRAMMYs on Sunday, Feb. 2. 

Over 66 awards ceremonies, GRAMMY Awards have elevated careers, sparked cultural shifts, and cemented legacies. For artists, musicians and music industry professionals, a GRAMMY win can be a game-changing moment, unlocking new opportunities for collaboration and enhancing global recognition. Often, a GRAMMY win becomes a pivotal milestone in an artist’s career. 

Learn more: How Much Is A GRAMMY Worth? 7 Facts To Know About The GRAMMY Award Trophy.

What happens after an artist or music professional wins a GRAMMY? For many, it's a life-changing moment, but the path that follows can be as unique as the music that earned them the accolade. 

Ahead of the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, officially known as the 67th GRAMMY Awards, five GRAMMY-winning artists — icon Linda Ronstadt, transformative artist White Sun, reggae artist Kabaka Pyramid, Puerto Rican singer iLe, and acclaimed jazz drummer Antonio Sánchez — discuss how winning a GRAMMY has affected their careers and creativity. 

Linda Ronstadt

Number of GRAMMY Awards: 11
First GRAMMY Won: Best Country Vocal Performance, Female for "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)," 1976 GRAMMYs

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 A trailblazing figure, Linda Ronstadt is known for her remarkable versatility and powerful voice that transcends genres. Over four decades, Ronstadt broke boundaries not only in her music, but also in her advocacy for artists' rights and political causes.

Musically, Ronstadt defied industry norms by crossing over from rock and country, while also embracing diverse genres such as opera and jazz. Ronstadt honored her Mexican heritage via multiple Spanish-language albums, including 1987's Canciones de Mi Padre. That album highlighted traditional Mexican mariachi music and became the best-selling non-English language album in U.S. history, playing a key role in bringing Latin music into the mainstream spotlight. The album took home a golden gramophone for Best Mexican-American Performance at the 31st GRAMMY Awards.

Ronstadt has 11 career GRAMMY Awards, as well as a Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. But her journey didn't end with the wins, the last of which came during the 63rd GRAMMY Awards for Best Music Film.

Ronstadt points to her early wins as the beginning of a new chapter characterized by continued growth and dedication. While the GRAMMY Award is recognition, it doesn't instantly transform an artist's skills or career. “Winning a GRAMMY did not make me a better singer," Ronstadt tells GRAMMY.com. "It took several more years of hard work to do that. But it is always nice to have your work validated.” 

Read more: Linda Ronstadt's Timeless Appeal

Antonio Sánchez

Number of GRAMMY Awards: 5
First GRAMMY Won:
Best Contemporary Jazz Album, Speaking Of Now, 2003 GRAMMYs

Drummer and composer Antonio Sánchez gained widespread recognition for his collaborations with jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny and icons such as Chick Corea and Gary Burton. Beyond jazz, Sánchez made a significant mark on film, most notably with his groundbreaking score for the 2014 Oscar-winning film Birdman, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Sánchez's GRAMMY Awards reflect his ability to push the boundaries of music and have shaped his career.

"I’m humbled and honored to have received GRAMMY Awards, and they have certainly expanded an awareness of what I do to those unfamiliar," he explains. 

While Sánchez doesn’t believe anyone hires him solely because of his awards, the wins have undoubtedly brought more attention to his work. He recalls his first GRAMMY win over 20 years ago with The Pat Metheny Group: "I’ll never forget the moment I held it in my hands — and being surprised by its weight," Sánchez says. That win supercharged his passion for music, reinforcing his desire to surround himself with the highest caliber musicians and continue striving for excellence.

For aspiring musicians, Sánchez emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s creative process. "Try not to think of awards, accolades, or public opinion in your creative process," he advises. Instead, he encourages artists to focus on what they love and give it their all. For Sánchez, the pressure to deliver is always present, but he believes that pursuing awards should not be the goal. 

"Your virtue is its own reward — the best reward," he says, reminding artists that if they work hard enough, recognition and awards like the GRAMMYs will follow. 

Kabaka Pyramid

Number of GRAMMY Awards: 1
First GRAMMY Won: Best Reggae Album for The Kalling, 2023 GRAMMYs

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Kingston, Jamaica, native Kabaka Pyramid is known for blending traditional roots reggae with elements of hip-hop and dancehall. His music is celebrated for its socially conscious messages, tackling topics such as inequality, spirituality, and cultural empowerment. Kabaka's unique style and powerful lyrics have attracted a global audience, establishing him as a leading figure in modern reggae.

Kabaka acknowledges that winning a GRAMMY has impacted all aspects of his career. "I can say just about every area has been elevated to some degree," he shares. This success has led to everything from bigger financial offers to more shows, as well as  increased publicity and social media growth. He’s also had the chance to travel to new places and noted a greater respect within the industry.

However, with success comes challenges. Kabaka shared that he feels heightened expectations to perform, and notes that he's received some "absurd requests" to perform from people who want to benefit from their association with him. He added that some people who knew him before he won a GRAMMY now interact with him differently, which can feel strange at times.

The Kalling's GRAMMY win has given Kabaka Pyramid more inspiration and motivation to strive for greatness, though his approach to making music has not changed fundamentally. "It’s the same process as before, but more mindful of the details to ensure the standard is always being raised," he explains. The artist advises aspiring musicians to "stay grounded but reach for the stars.

"It's important to consciously know what you're about and what you stand for," he advises.

Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Kabaka Pyramid On Embracing His Voice & The Bold Future Of Reggae

iLe

Number of GRAMMY Awards: 1
First GRAMMY Won:
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for iLevitable, 2017 GRAMMYs

iLe possesses a powerful and distinct voice. Her solo career is defined by evocative lyrics and a style that fuses the traditional sounds of Latin America with modern musical elements.

Born Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar in Puerto Rico, iLe grew up surrounded by creativity, with a family deeply involved in the arts. During her teenage years, iLe collaborated with her siblings, René Pérez Joglar (Residente) and Eduardo Cabra (Visitante), to take on the role of lead singer for their group, Calle 13. Her commanding voice and captivating stage presence played a crucial role in defining the band's unique meld of hip-hop, rock, and traditional Latin music.

iLe says her win at the 59th GRAMMY Awards was an unexpected yet rewarding experience. The greatest reward was celebrating the achievement. "Working on an album is already hard enough, and every album you get to release is literally that: a release, a satisfaction, a transition into something new," she shares.

While the GRAMMY brought new opportunities, iLe emphasizes that she’s most thankful for the chance to continue making music. "I feel grateful to have had opportunities like this to expand my music, but I feel even more grateful to be doing what I love," she reflects.

iLe notes that the award didn’t change the themes she explores in her music, which are grounded in honesty and a deep connection to her culture. She encourages other Latin artists to work hard and stay authentic. "Don’t feel the need to turn into something you’re not just to feel some sort of approval or validation," she advises, adding that musicians should continue to explore their own paths and enjoy the journey.

White Sun

Number of GRAMMY Awards: 2
First GRAMMY Won: Best New Age Album for White Sun II, 2017 GRAMMYs

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White Sun seamlessly merges ancient yogic mantras with modern music to create a sound that’s both unique and meditative. Led by vocalist Gurujas, with multi-instrumentalist Adam Berry and percussionist Harijiwan, the group is known for their calming, spiritual music that promotes mindfulness and wellness. 

White Sun first won Best New Age Album at the 2017 GRAMMYs for White Sun II — the first all-mantra album to win the award — and their second win came in the renamed category six years later for Mystic Mirror. White Sun believes winning a GRAMMY broadened the recognition of their work.

"There is no question that our two GRAMMY wins gave us a bump in listenership," they note, explaining that they experienced a surge of interest following each win. The results go beyond new fans, however.

"Just like any other artist, every time we make a song, we aspire to create emotional impact, compelling melody, high production quality, and innovative lyricism," the group says, adding that  their music exceeds these goals by using frequencies that positively affect the body, resulting in "countless stories of physical and mental healing from all over the world." 

White Sun remains committed to their artistic integrity. Gurujas says winning the GRAMMY has only strengthened her resolve to "stay true to the creative force within me and honor the music above all else." She advises fellow artists navigating the post-GRAMMY experience to stay prolific, humble, and true to oneself. 

"If you fall into the trap of trying to create music you think other people want to hear, your success will be ephemeral, and your music will be forgotten," she warns, urging artists to focus on what they want to leave behind.

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Linda Ronstadt at the 1977 GRAMMYs
(L-R) Linda Ronstadt and Peter Asher at the 1977 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Linda Ronstadt's Sweet & Simple Acceptance Speech In 1977

When Linda Ronstadt won a GRAMMY for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance — for her seventh album, 'Hasten Down the Wind' — she only had one special person in mind: her producer, Peter Asher.

GRAMMYs/Mar 22, 2024 - 04:32 pm

With Hasten Down the Wind, Linda Ronstadt became the first female artist with three million-selling albums in a row — and furthered her legacy as one of the pioneers of women in rock music.

The album also helped Ronstadt snag her second GRAMMY, as it won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1977. (The year prior, she took home Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her cover of Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You).")

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, relive the moment Linda Ronstadt won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Hasten Down the Wind in 1977.

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Ronstadt kept her acceptance speech short and sweet: "I'd especially like to thank Peter Asher," the producer of the pop rock LP. "Thank you," she added with a smile.

To date, Ronstadt has won 11 GRAMMYs and received 27 nominations. In 2011 and 2016, respectively, she received a Latin GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award and a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.

Press play on the video above to watch Linda Ronstadt take the stage to accept Best Pop Vocal Performance at the 19th Annual GRAMMY Awards and remember to keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

5 Songs To Get Into Kim Gordon's Solo Work, From "Change My Brain" To "I'm A Man"

The Recording Academy's 2024 Special Merit Awards honorees, including
(Top Row, L-R): Gladys Knight, the Clark Sisters, Tammy Wynette, Laurie Anderson, Gerald Eaton; (Middle Row, L-R): N.W.A, Tom Scott, Donna Summer, Joel Katz, Steve McEwan; (Bottom Row, L-R): Peter Asher, Tom Kobayashi, DJ Kool Herc, K'naan

Photo Credits: Derek Blanks; Mel Elder, Jr.; Michael Ochs Archives; Stephanie Diani; Kim Virdi; TiVo; photo courtesy of SMPTE; Copyright Brian Leatart; Gittings; Steve McEwan; Henry Diltz; Kobayashi Family; Johnny Nunez/WireImage; Nabil Elderkin

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The Recording Academy Announces 2024 Special Merit Award & Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees: N.W.A, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, DJ Kool Herc & Many More

The 2024 Special Merit Awards honorees include Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Tammy Wynette, the Clark Sisters, and many others. The Special Merit Awards will return to the Wilshire Ebell Theater on Saturday, Feb.3, during GRAMMY Week 2024.

GRAMMYs/Jan 5, 2024 - 01:55 pm

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, the Recording Academy has announced the 2024 Special Merit Awards honorees.

Laurie Anderson, the Clark Sisters, Gladys Knight, N.W.A, Donna Summer, and Tammy Wynette are the 2024 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honorees; Peter Asher, DJ Kool Herc and Joel Katz are the Trustees Award recipients; Tom Kobayashi and Tom Scott are the Technical GRAMMY Award honorees; and “Refugee,” written by K’naan, Steve McEwan, and Gerald Eaton (a.k.a. Jarvis Church), is being honored with the Best Song For Social Change Award

The Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony celebrating the 2023 Special Merit Award recipients will return to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 3. 

“The Academy is honored to pay tribute to this year’s Special Merit Award recipients — a remarkable group of creators and industry professionals whose impact resonates with generations worldwide,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Their contributions to music span genres, backgrounds and crafts, reflecting the rich diversity that fuels our creative community. We look forward to honoring these music industry trailblazers next month as part of our week-long celebration leading up to Music’s Biggest Night.”

Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

This Special Merit Award is presented by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Trustees to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording (through 1972, recipients included non-performers).

Laurie Anderson is a writer, director, composer, visual artist, musician, and vocalist who has created groundbreaking works that span the worlds of art, theater, experimental music, and technology. As a performer and musician, she has collaborated with many people including Brian Eno, Jean-Michel Jarre, William S. Burroughs, Peter Gabriel, Robert Wilson, Christian McBride, and Philip Glass. In 2002, Anderson was appointed the first artist-in-residence of NASA which culminated in her 2004 touring solo performance, The End of the Moon. She has been nominated for six GRAMMY Awards throughout her recording career and received a GRAMMY for the release Landfall in collaboration with the Kronos Quartet at the 61st GRAMMYs. 

The Clark Sisters, an American gospel vocal group initially consisting of five sisters: Jacky, Denise, Elbernita, Dorinda, and Karen – have been taking the world by storm since the early 1980s. Credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream, the Clark Sisters are considered pioneers of contemporary gospel. Their biggest crossover hits include: “Is My Living in Vain?,” “Hallelujah,” “He Gave Me Nothing to Lose,” “Endow Me,” their hit song “Jesus Is A Love Song,” “Pure Gold,” “Miracle,” and their largest, mainstream crossover gold-certified, “You Brought The Sunshine.” The Clark Sisters (Jacky, Elbernita, Dorinda, and Karen) have won three GRAMMYs (two awarded to the group, and one to Karen as a songwriter for “Blessed and Highly Favored”), and with 16 albums to their credit and millions in sales, they are the highest-selling female gospel group in history.

Gladys Knight is a seven-time GRAMMY Award winner who has enjoyed No. 1 hits in pop, gospel, R&B, and adult contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance. Knight has recorded more than 38 albums over the years including four solo albums. She appeared on ABC’s 14th season of “Dancing With The Stars” in 2012, and in 2019, she competed on the inaugural season of “The Masked Singer.” Knight has sung the National Anthem at several major sporting events, including at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta in 2019, and at the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. She was a National Endowment for the Arts 2021 National Medal of Arts Recipient and received a Kennedy Center Honor for Lifetime Artistic Achievements in 2022.

N.W.A was a rap group from the Compton district in Los Angeles who are credited by many with inventing gangsta rap. The group, consisting of Eazy-E^, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC-Ren, developed a new sound, which brought in many of the loud, extreme sonic innovations of Public Enemy while adopting a self-consciously violent and dangerous lyrical stance. In 1988, N.W.A released their album, Straight Outta Compton, a brutally intense record that became an underground hit without any support from radio or MTV. This negative attention worked in their favor as it brought the album to multiplatinum status. Although the group was short-lived, gangsta rap established itself as the most popular form of hip-hop during the mid-1990s.

Donna Summer^ rocketed to international superstardom with her groundbreaking merger of R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, disco, and avant-garde electronica, catapulting underground dance music out of the clubs of Europe and bringing it to the world. Summer holds the record with three consecutive double albums to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts (the only solo artist to ever accomplish this), and first female artist to have four No. 1 singles in a 12-month period on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. A five-time GRAMMY winner and 18-time GRAMMY nominee, Summer was the first artist to win the GRAMMY for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female (1979, “Hot Stuff”) as well as the first-ever recipient of the new GRAMMY Category for Best Dance Recording (1997, “Carry On”). Summer was the first female artist to win GRAMMY Awards in four different genres: dance, gospel, rock, and R&B.

Tammy Wynette^ first hit the musical scene in 1966 with “Apartment #9” after moving to Nashville and teaming up with record producer Billy Sherrill. Together, the duo wrote songs that reflected the yearnings and the things Wynette felt were important in her life. In 1968, Wynette released “Stand By Your Man,” which sold more than five million singles and became the largest-selling single ever recorded by a female artist. By 1970, she racked up five No. 1 country hits, was named the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year three times, and won two GRAMMYs. Wynette was the first female country music singer to sell over one million albums and has sold more than 30 million records grossing more than $100 million, earning her the title “The First Lady of Country Music.”

Read More: GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Awards | The Complete List

Trustees Award Honorees

This Special Merit Award is presented by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Trustees to individuals who, during their careers in music, have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording (through 1983, recipients included performers).

Peter Asher’s career began in 1964 as one-half of Peter & Gordon, whose “A World Without Love” topped the charts worldwide. Nine more Top 20 hits followed before Asher became head of A&R for the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1968, and discovered, produced and managed James Taylor; later adding Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, 10,000 Maniacs, Cher, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Bonnie Raitt, Robin Williams, Stevie Nicks, Lyle Lovett, Morrissey, Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, Ed Sheeran, and more to his roster. Asher won the GRAMMY for Producer Of The Year in both 1977 and 1989. He hosts a hit radio show “From Me To You” on Sirius XM and is much in demand not only in the studio but as a performer, speaker and author.

The legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee DJ Kool Herc is consistently credited as the founder of hip-hop. His mastery at the turntables is known worldwide, as are his positive contributions to the evolution of hip-hop culture. Herc’s popularity rose by playing long sets of assorted rhythm breaks strung together. Unlike any of his DJ counterparts, Herc is not a rapid rapper who keeps your head spinning with a patter, but he is a musical innovator to the turntables. He first introduced using two turntables to make the beats last longer, creating the illusion of one long break for the B-Boys to show off their skills. Herc has received a great deal of recognition during his lifetime, including his induction into the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recognition from the New York Landmarks Conservancy as a 2023 Living Landmark. 

Joel Katz has played a profound role in shaping the entertainment industry through his work in facilitating entertainment-related corporate acquisitions and mergers and consulting multi-national and multi-media entertainment companies. Katz was ranked Billboard magazine’s No. 1 entertainment attorney in its “Power 100” list of most powerful executives in the music business and has been called “the dealmaker who thinks outside the box.” At Kennesaw State University, Katz endowed and began a commercial music program – one of the largest music education programs in America with over 500 students. He has authored and co-authored many articles and commentary on topics concerning entertainment law. In honor of his work, the University of Tennessee College of Law dedicated its library in his name, the Joel A. Katz Law Library.

Read More: GRAMMY Trustees Awards | The Complete List

Technical GRAMMY Award Honorees

This Special Merit Award is presented by vote of the Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees and ratification by the Recording Academy's National Trustees to individuals and/or companies/organizations/institutions who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field. 

Tom Kobayashi^ and Tom Scott met at Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound in 1985, when the duo joined the company and completed the building of the Skywalker post-production facilities in both Northern and Southern California. Together, Kobayashi and Scott launched the Entertainment Digital Network, also known as “EDnet,” which employed fiber-optic networks to send high-quality video and audio great distances. Its then-revolutionary technology enabled the industry to link together talent, executives and production facilities at great cost savings. For 25 years, that company connected hundreds of recording studios worldwide in the days before the Internet could handle high-quality audio. EDnet became a part of Onstream Media, and over the decades, tens of thousands of long-distance collaboration sessions were facilitated for the music, advertising, TV, and cinema businesses. 

Best Song For Social Change Award Honorees

This Special Merit Award honors songwriter(s) of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact. The finalists and recipient(s) are selected annually by a Blue-Ribbon Committee composed of a community of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting and the power of songs to effect social change. See past recipients here.

In June 2023, singer-songwriter K’naan released the inspiring single and accompanying video “Refugee,” co-written by GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter Steve McEwan and GRAMMY-nominated producer Gerald Eaton (also known by his stage name, Jarvis Church). “Refugee” stands out as a distinctive musical endeavor, skillfully interweaving personal and political narratives, and serving as a tribute to refugees around the world. With the single, K’naan drew inspiration from his personal experiences, aiming to redefine the traditional perception of the term “refugee” into a symbol of resilience and strength. The song was written with the hopes of encouraging individuals to embrace the word “refugee” proudly and to give those made homeless by conflict a song that felt like home.

Read More: GRAMMY Technical Awards | The Complete List

^Denotes posthumous honoree.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List