Trustees Award
This Special Merit Award is presented by vote of the Recording Academy's National Trustees to individuals who, during their careers in music, have made significant contributions, other than performance*, to the field of recording. (*Through 1983, recipients included performers.)
Past Recipients
Alphabetical by recipient
| Lou Adler Awarded: 2019 |
Chris Albertson Awarded: 1971 |
|---|---|
| Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss Awarded: 1997 |
Harold Arlen Awarded: 1987 |
| Peter Asher Awarded: 2024 |
Ashford & Simpson Awarded: 2019 |
| George Avakian Awarded: 2009 |
Clarence Avant Awarded: 2008 |
| Estelle Axton Awarded: 2007 |
Burt Bacharach & Hal David Awarded: 1997 |
| Dave Bartholomew Awarded: 2012 |
Béla Bartok Awarded: 1984 |
| Count Basie Awarded: 1981 |
The Beatles Awarded: 1972 |
| Al Bell Awarded: 2011 |
Thom Bell Awarded: 2017 |
| Marilyn & Alan Bergman Awarded: 2013 |
Emile Berliner Awarded: 1987 |
| Chris Blackwell Awarded: 2006 |
Harold Bradley Awarded: 2010 |
| Owen Bradley Awarded: 2006 |
John Cage Awarded: 2016 |
| Hoagy Carmichael Awarded: 2005 |
Elliott Carter Awarded: 2009 |
| Ed Cherney Awarded: 2021 |
Leonard & Phil Chess Awarded: 2013 |
| Dick Clark Awarded: 1990 |
Aaron Copland Awarded: 1981 |
| Don Cornelius Awarded: 2005 |
Pierre Cossette Awarded: 1995 |
| John Culshaw (see Solti) Awarded: 1967 |
Hal David (see Bacharach) Awarded: 1997 |
| Clive Davis Awarded: 2000 |
Henry Diltz Awarded: 2023 |
| Walt Disney Awarded: 1989 |
Thomas A. Dorsey Awarded: 1992 |
| Tom Dowd Awarded: 2002 |
Lamont Dozier (see Holland/Dozier/Holland) Awarded: 1998 |
| Thomas A. Edison Awarded: 1977 |
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Awarded: 2021 |
| Ken Ehrlich Awarded: 2020 |
DJ Kool Herc Awarded: 2024 |
| Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn Awarded: 1968 |
Ahmet Ertegun Awarded: 1993 |
| Nesuhi Ertegun Awarded: 1995 |
Christine M. Farnon Awarded: 1992 |
| Wilma Cozart Fine Awarded: 2011 |
Fred Foster Awarded: 2016 |
| Alan Freed Awarded: 2002 |
Milt Gabler Awarded: 1991 |
| Kenneth Gamble And Leon Huff Awarded: 1999 |
George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin Awarded: 1986 |
| Ira Gershwin (see George Gershwin) Awarded: 1986 |
Philip Glass Awarded: 2020 |
| Gerry Goffin & Carole King Awarded: 2004 |
Benny Golson Awarded: 2021 |
| Berry Gordy Awarded: 1991 |
Bill Graham Awarded: 2018 |
| Norman Granz Awarded: 1994 |
Florence Greenberg Awarded: 2010 |
| Rick Hall Awarded: 2014 |
Oscar Hammerstein II Awarded: 1992 |
| John Hammond NOTE: This is different person from John Hammond the blues artist. Awarded: 1971 |
W.C. Handy Awarded: 1993 |
| Lorenz Hart Awarded: 1992 |
Larry Hiller Awarded: 1971 |
| Holland/Dozier/Holland (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland) Awarded: 1998 |
Jac Holzman Awarded: 2008 |
| Leon Huff (see Gamble And Huff) Awarded: 1999 |
Steve Jobs Awarded: 2012 |
| Eldridge R. Johnson Awarded: 1985 |
Quincy Jones Awarded: 1989 |
| Joel Katz Awarded: 2024 |
Orrin Keepnews Awarded: 2004 |
| Jerome Kern Awarded: 1987 |
Carole King (see Goffin) Awarded: 2004 |
| Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe Awarded: 1999 |
Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller Awarded: 1999 |
| Goddard Lieberson Awarded: 1979 |
Alfred Lion Awarded: 2005 |
| Alan Livingston Awarded: 2013 |
Frederick Loewe (see Lerner & Loewe) Awarded: 1999 |
| Alan Lomax Awarded: 2003 |
Bruce Lundvall Awarded: 2011 |
| Johnny Mandel Awarded: 2019 |
Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil Awarded: 2015 |
| Arif Mardin Awarded: 2001 |
Ellis Marsalis Awarded: 2023 |
| Jim Marshall Awarded: 2014 |
George Martin Awarded: 1996 |
| Cosimo Matassa Awarded: 2007 |
Marian McPartland Awarded: 2004 |
| Johnny Mercer Awarded: 1987 |
Walter C. Miller Awarded: 2010 |
| Willie Mitchell Awarded: 2008 |
Dr. Robert Moog Awarded: 1970 |
| Ennio Morricone Awarded: 2014 |
Jerry Moss (see Alpert) Awarded: 1997 |
| New York Philharmonic Awarded: 2003 |
Mo Ostin Awarded: 2017 |
| Les Paul Awarded: 1983 |
Ralph S. Peer Awarded: 2017 |
| Krzysztof Penderecki Awarded: 1968 |
Richard Perry Awarded: 2015 |
| Sam Phillips Awarded: 1991 |
Cole Porter Awarded: 1989 |
| Frances Preston Awarded: 1998 |
Phil Ramone Awarded: 2001 |
| Richard Rodgers Awarded: 1989 |
Al Schmitt Awarded: 2006 |
| George T. Simon Awarded: 1993 |
Frank Sinatra Awarded: 1979 |
| Georg Solti & John Culshaw Awarded: 1967 |
Stephen Sondheim Awarded: 2007 |
| Phil Spector Awarded: 2000 |
Seymour Stein Awarded: 2018 |
| Jim Stewart Awarded: 2023 |
Leopold Stokowski Awarded: 1977 |
| Mike Stoller (see Leiber & Stoller) Awarded: 1999 |
Chris Strachwitz Awarded: 2016 |
| Billy Strayhorn (see Ellington) Awarded: 1968 |
Dr. Billy Taylor Awarded: 2005 |
| Allen Toussaint Awarded: 2009 |
Rudy Van Gelder Awarded: 2012 |
| Frank Walker Awarded: 2020 |
Cynthia Weil (see Mann) Awarded: 2015 |
| George Wein Awarded: 2015 |
Paul Weston Awarded: 1971 |
| Jerry Wexler Awarded: 1996 |
John Williams Awarded: 2018 |