This Special Merit, The Lifetime Achievement 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.)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Past Recipients
| Roy Acuff Awarded: 1987 |
Allman Brothers Band, The Awarded: 2012 |
Laurie Anderson Awarded: 2024 |
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| Marian Anderson Awarded: 1991 |
Julie Andrews Awarded: 2011 |
Louis Armstrong Awarded: 1972 |
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| Eddy Arnold Awarded: 2005 |
Fred Astaire Awarded: 1989 |
Chet Atkins Awarded: 1993 |
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| Gene Autry Awarded: 2009 |
Burt Bacharach Awarded: 2008 |
Joan Baez Awarded: 2007 |
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| The Band Awarded: 2008 |
Count Basie Awarded: 2002 |
Beach Boys Awarded: 2001 |
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| The Beatles Awarded: 2014 |
Bee Gees Awarded: 2015 |
Harry Belafonte Awarded: 2000 |
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| Tony Bennett Awarded: 2001 |
Irving Berlin Awarded: 1968 |
Leonard Bernstein Awarded: 1985 |
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| Chuck Berry Awarded: 1984 |
Black Sabbath Awarded: 2019 |
Hal Blaine Awarded: 2018 |
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| Art Blakey Awarded: 2005 |
Bobby "Blue" Bland Awarded: 1997 |
Blind Boys Of Alabama Awarded: 2009 |
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| Booker T. & The MG's Awarded: 2007 |
Pierre Boulez Awarded: 2015 |
David Bowie Awarded: 2006 |
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| James Brown Awarded: 1992 |
Ruth Brown Awarded: 2016 |
Dave Brubeck Awarded: 1996 |
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| Shirley Caesar Awarded: 2017 |
Maria Callas Awarded: 2007 |
Cab Calloway Awarded: 2008 |
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| Glen Campbell Awarded: 2012 |
Carter Family Awarded: 2005 |
Benny Carter Awarded: 1987 |
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| Enrico Caruso Awarded: 1987 |
Pablo Casals Awarded: 1989 |
Johnny Cash Awarded: 1999 |
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| Chicago Awarded: 2020 |
Ray Charles Awarded: 1987 |
The Clark Sisters Awarded: 2024 |
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| Clifton Chenier Awarded: 2014 |
Van Cliburn Awarded: 2004 |
Patsy Cline Awarded: 1995 |
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| George Clinton & Parliament - Funkadelic Awarded: 2019 |
Rosemary Clooney Awarded: 2002 |
Leonard Cohen Awarded: 2010 |
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| Nat "King" Cole Awarded: 1990 |
Ornette Coleman Awarded: 2007 |
John Coltrane Awarded: 1992 |
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| Perry Como Awarded: 2002 |
Sam Cooke Awarded: 1999 |
Cream Awarded: 2006 |
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| Bing Crosby Awarded: 1963 |
Celia Cruz Awarded: 2016 |
Bobby Darin Awarded: 2010 |
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| Miles Davis Awarded: 1990 |
Sammy Davis Jr. Awarded: 2001 |
Doris Day Awarded: 2008 |
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| Neil Diamond Awarded: 2018 |
Bo Diddley Awarded: 1998 |
Fats Domino Awarded: 1987 |
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| Bob Dylan Awarded: 1991 |
Earth, Wind & Fire Awarded: 2016 |
Billy Eckstine Awarded: 2019 |
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| David "Honeyboy" Edwards Awarded: 2010 |
Duke Ellington Awarded: 1966 |
Bill Evans Awarded: 1994 |
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| Everly Brothers Awarded: 1997 |
Ella Fitzgerald Awarded: 1967 |
Roberta Flack Awarded: 2020 |
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| Four Tops Awarded: 2009 |
Aretha Franklin Awarded: 1994 |
Funk Brothers, The Awarded: 2004 |
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| Judy Garland Awarded: 1997 |
Marvin Gaye Awarded: 1996 |
Dizzy Gillespie Awarded: 1989 |
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| Benny Goodman Awarded: 1986 |
Glenn Gould Awarded: 2013 |
Morton Gould Awarded: 2005 |
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| Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five Awarded: 2021 |
Stephane Grappelli Awarded: 1997 |
Grateful Dead Awarded: 2007 |
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| Al Green Awarded: 2002 |
Woody Guthrie Awarded: 2000 |
Buddy Guy Awarded: 2015 |
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| Charlie Haden Awarded: 2013 |
Merle Haggard Awarded: 2006 |
Lionel Hampton Awarded: 2021 |
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| Herbie Hancock Awarded: 2016 |
Emmylou Harris Awarded: 2018 |
George Harrison Awarded: 2015 |
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| Donny Hathaway Awarded: 2019 |
Isaac Hayes Awarded: 2020 |
Roy Haynes Awarded: 2011 |
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| Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart Awarded: 2023 |
Jascha Heifetz Awarded: 1989 |
Jimi Hendrix Awarded: 1992 |
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| Woody Herman Awarded: 1987 |
Billie Holiday Awarded: 1987 |
Buddy Holly Awarded: 1997 |
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| John Lee Hooker Awarded: 2000 |
Lightnin' Hopkins Awarded: 2013 |
Lena Horne Awarded: 1989 |
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| Marilyn Horne Awarded: 2021 |
Vladimir Horowitz Awarded: 1990 |
Iggy Pop Awarded: 2020 |
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| Julio Iglesias Awarded: 2019 |
The Isley Brothers Awarded: 2014 |
Mahalia Jackson Awarded: 1972 |
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| Michael Jackson Awarded: 2010 |
Ahmad Jamal Awarded: 2017 |
Etta James Awarded: 2003 |
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| Jefferson Airplane Awarded: 2016 |
Jelly Roll Morton Awarded: 2005 |
Ella Jenkins Awarded: 2004 |
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| Flaco Jiménez Awarded: 2015 |
Antonio Carlos Jobim Awarded: 2012 |
Robert Johnson Awarded: 2006 |
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| George Jones Awarded: 2012 |
Hank Jones Awarded: 2009 |
Janis Joplin Awarded: 2005 |
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| Louis Jordan Awarded: 2018 |
Juilliard String Quartet Awarded: 2011 |
B.B. King Awarded: 1987 |
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| Carole King Awarded: 2013 |
Kingston Trio Awarded: 2011 |
Gladys Knight Awarded: 2024 |
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| Kraftwerk Awarded: 2014 |
Kris Kristofferson Awarded: 2014 |
Led Zeppelin Awarded: 2005 |
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| Brenda Lee Awarded: 2009 |
Peggy Lee Awarded: 1995 |
John Lennon Awarded: 1991 |
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| Jerry Lee Lewis Awarded: 2005 |
Little Richard Awarded: 1993 |
The Louvin Brothers Awarded: 2015 |
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| Loretta Lynn Awarded: 2010 |
Henry Mancini Awarded: 1995 |
Armando Manzanero Awarded: 2014 |
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| Bob Marley Awarded: 2001 |
Dean Martin Awarded: 2009 |
Johnny Mathis Awarded: 2003 |
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| Curtis Mayfield Awarded: 1995 |
Paul McCartney Awarded: 1990 |
Bobby McFerrin Awarded: 2023 |
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| Memphis Horns, The Awarded: 2012 |
The Meters Awarded: 2018 |
Glenn Miller Awarded: 2003 |
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| Mitch Miller Awarded: 2000 |
Mills Brothers Awarded: 1998 |
Charles Mingus Awarded: 1997 |
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| Joni Mitchell Awarded: 2002 |
Thelonious Monk Awarded: 1993 |
Bill Monroe Awarded: 1993 |
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| Sam & Dave Awarded: 2019 |
Willie Nelson Awarded: 2000 |
Nirvana Awarded: 2023 |
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| Jessye Norman Awarded: 2006 |
N.W.A. Awarded: 2024 |
Roy Orbison Awarded: 1998 |
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| Patti Page Awarded: 2013 |
Charlie Parker Awarded: 1984 |
Dolly Parton Awarded: 2011 |
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| Tom Paxton Awarded: 2009 |
Pinetop Perkins Awarded: 2005 |
Itzhak Perlman Awarded: 2008 |
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| Oscar Peterson Awarded: 1997 |
Maud Powell Awarded: 2014 |
Elvis Presley Awarded: 1971 |
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| André Previn Awarded: 2010 |
Leontyne Price Awarded: 1989 |
Charley Pride Awarded: 2017 |
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| John Prine Awarded: 2020 |
Richard Pryor Awarded: 2006 |
Public Enemy Awarded: 2020 |
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| Tito Puente Awarded: 2003 |
Queen Awarded: 2018 |
Ma Rainey Awarded: 2023 |
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| Bonnie Raitt Awarded: 2021 |
Ramones Awarded: 2011 |
Otis Redding Awarded: 1999 |
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| Max Roach Awarded: 2008 |
Paul Robeson Awarded: 1998 |
Smokey Robinson Awarded: 1999 |
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| Jimmie Rodgers Awarded: 2017 |
Nile Rodgers Awarded: 2023 |
Rolling Stones Awarded: 1986 |
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| Sonny Rollins Awarded: 2004 |
Linda Ronstadt Awarded: 2016 |
Diana Ross Awarded: 2012 |
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| Artur Rubinstein Awarded: 1994 |
Run DMC Awarded: 2016 |
Salt-n-Pepa Awarded: 2021 |
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| Gil Scott-Heron Awarded: 2012 |
Earl Scruggs Awarded: 2008 |
Pete Seeger Awarded: 1993 |
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| Andrés Segovia Awarded: 1986 |
Selena Awarded: 2021 |
Ravi Shankar Awarded: 2013 |
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| Artie Shaw Awarded: 2004 |
George Beverly Shea Awarded: 2011 |
Wayne Shorter Awarded: 2015 |
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| Simon And Garfunkel Awarded: 2003 |
Nina Simone Awarded: 2017 |
Frank Sinatra Awarded: 1965 |
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| Slick Rick “The Ruler” Awarded: 2023 |
Bessie Smith Awarded: 1989 |
Georg Solti Awarded: 1996 |
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| Staple Singers Awarded: 2005 |
Isaac Stern Awarded: 1987 |
Sly Stone Awarded: 2017 |
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| Igor Stravinsky Awarded: 1987 |
Barbra Streisand Awarded: 1995 |
Donna Summer Awarded: 2024 |
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| The Supremes Awarded: 2023 |
Talking Heads Awarded: 2021 |
Art Tatum Awarded: 1989 |
The Temptations Awarded: 2013 |
| Clark Terry Awarded: 2010 |
Sister Rosetta Tharpe Awarded: 2020 |
Doors, The Awarded: 2007 |
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| Mel Tormé Awarded: 1999 |
Arturo Toscanini Awarded: 1987 |
Tina Turner Awarded: 2018 |
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| Sarah Vaughan Awarded: 1989 |
Velvet Underground Awarded: 2017 |
Fats Waller Awarded: 1993 |
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| Dionne Warwick Awarded: 2019 |
Muddy Waters Awarded: 1992 |
Doc Watson Awarded: 2004 |
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| Weavers, The Awarded: 2006 |
Kitty Wells Awarded: 1991 |
The Who Awarded: 2001 |
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| Hank Williams Awarded: 1987 |
Bob Wills Awarded: 2007 |
Stevie Wonder Awarded: 1996 |
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| Tammy Wynnette Awarded: 2024 |
Frank Zappa Awarded: 1997 |