Whitney Houston will receive a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award next year.
The late performer – who passed away in 2012 – will be remembered at a ceremony in Los Angeles in January 2026, with one of the Recording Academy’s Special Merits Awards.
Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon will also receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the ceremony.
Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.
Bernie Taupin, Eddie Palmieri and Sylvia Rhone will be presented with Trustees Awards and John Chowning will be the recipient of the Technical Grammy Award.
Trustees Awards are presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording, while Technical Grammy Awards are presented to those who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said: “It’s a true honour to recognise this year’s Special Merit Award recipients — an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres and the very foundation of modern music. Each of these honourees has made a profound and lasting impact, and we look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements on the eve of Grammy Sunday.”
Grammy Week is the Recording Academy’s weeklong celebration comprising official Grammy Week events celebrating the music community and current Grammy nominees in the lead-up to the annual Grammy Awards.
Grammy Week 2026 will culminate with the 2026 Grammys, which will take place live in Sunday, February 1, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Taupin is this year’s only Special Merit Award recipient who is also a 2026 Grammy nominee.
He has been nominated for best song written for visual media for Never Too Late from Elton John: Never Too Late.
