KVSP Recording Academy names Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan among 2026 Lifetime Achievement recipients
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on December 19, 2025
Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan have been named recipients of the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award. They’ll be honored at the 2026 Special Merit Awards, taking place Jan. 31 in Los Angeles.
Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Cher are also set to receive the award, which goes to “performers who, during their lifetime, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording,” according to a press release.
The Trustees Award will go to Bernie Taupin, Latin musician Eddie Palmieri and record exec Sylvia Rhone for the “significant contributions” they’ve made “to the field of recording,” the press release states.
“It’s a true honor to recognize this year’s Special Merit Award recipients — an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres and the very foundation of modern music,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement. “Each of these honorees has made a profound and lasting impact, and we look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements on the eve of Grammy Sunday.”
The Grammy Awards are scheduled for Feb. 1.
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