Grammys 2026: Paul Simon and Cher among artists to receive ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards
Paul Simon and Cher are among the artists set to receive ‘Lifetime Acheivement’ awards from the Grammys.
In addition to Simon and Cher, the prestigious honour will be given by the Recording Academy to Carlos Santana and Chaka Khan. Meanwhile, Fela Kuti and Whitney Houston will be posthumously recognised with the ‘Lifetime Acheivement’ prize.
The Recording Academy have also confirmed that Bernie Taupin, Sylvia Rhone, and the late Eddie Palmieri will be awarded the ‘Trustees Award’. Additionally, John Chowning is set to be the recipient of the ‘Technical Grammy Award’ for 2026.
The ceremony for the aforementioned awards is scheduled to take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on January 31st, 2026, the night before the Grammys ceremony in the same Californian city at the Crypto.com Arena.
In a statement, the Recording Academy’s CEO, Harvey Mason Jr, said of this year’s recipients, “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.”
Mason Jr continued, “Each of these honorees has made a profound and lasting impact, and we look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements.”
Notably, Taupin, Elton John’s longstanding songwriter, is also nominated for an award at next year’s Grammys. Elton’s ‘Never Too Late’ will compete in the ‘Best Song Written for Visual Media’ category.
The nominations are led by Kendrick Lamar with nine nods, including nominations in coveted categories such as ‘Record of the Year’, ‘Song of the Year’, and ‘Album of the Year’, thanks to his 2024 surprise release, GNX.
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga secured seven nominations relating to her album Mayhem, and Sabrina Carpenter, who won big in 2025, also landed six nominations for Man’s Best Friend.
The full list of nominations is available to view here.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.