Nirvana, The Supremes, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Nile Rodgers and Slick Rick will receive lifetime achievement awards from the Recording Academy in 2023. The lifetime achievement award is presented to performers “who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.”
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The honor will be presented at the Special Merit Awards, held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, on Feb. 4. The Supremes receive their nod a decade after Diana Ross received her lifetime achievement award. The Beatles—minus Ringo—and Pete Seeger remain the only other artists to receive lifetime achievement awards as a collective and as solo artists.
On top of his Special Merit Award consideration, Rodgers is also a 2023 Grammy nominee for his work on Beyoncé’s Renaissance and the hit single, “Cuff It.”
Other lifetime achievement recipients include Bobby McFerrin and Ma Rainey. Find more information about each recipient, HERE.
Elsewhere in the Special Merit Awards are three trustees award recipients, two technical Grammy award recipients, and the inaugural recipient of the best song for social change award.
The trustees award is presented to “individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording.” The technical Grammy award is presented to “individuals and/or companies/organizations/institutions who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.”
“The Academy is proud to celebrate this diverse slate of influential music people spanning numerous genres and crafts as our 2023 Special Merit Awards honorees,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “Each creator on this list has made an impact on our industry —from technical to creative achievements—representing the breadth of music’s diverse community. We’re excited to celebrate this group of legends next month that continues to inspire and shape the music world.”
Photo of Supremes Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
