Whitney Houston performing on stage at Wembley Arena, London, 03 September 1991
Chaka Khan performs at HarbourView Equity Partners' First Annual General Meeting + CREATE Summit in Miami Beach, hosted by CEO Sherrese Clarke at The St. Regis Bal Harbour
BRIXTON ACADEMY Photo of Fela KUTI, performing live onstage
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards will honor Fela Kuti, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, and more.
- The Recording Academy will present the awards during Grammy Week in Los Angeles on Jan. 31.
- Fela Kuti’s recognition highlights the global influence of Afrobeats and his multigenerational legacy.
The Recording Academy is shining a light on some of music’s most groundbreaking figures as part of its 2026 Special Merit Awards. Announced on Friday (Dec. 19), the new class of Lifetime Achievement Award honorees includes Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Fela Kuti, Carlos Santana, Cher, and Paul Simon — a lineup representing decades of cultural influence across R&B, Afrobeats, rock, and pop. The honors will be presented on Jan. 31 during Grammy Week in Los Angeles, California.
In a press release, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said, “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. 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.”
Houston, celebrated globally as “the Voice,” continues to hold an unmatched legacy more than a decade after her passing. With more than 200 million records sold, seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and the first Black artist to have three diamond albums, she remains one of the highest bars for vocal excellence. Her cousin Dionne Warwick received the same honor in 2019, making this a full-circle moment for their family.
Chaka Khan is a 10-time Grammy winner and spiritual blueprint for generations of vocalists, so her recognition shouldn’t be a surprise. Her cross-genre collaborations and her Chaka Khan Foundation’s global wellness work underscore why she remains, as the release notes, “a living force in music.”
Fela Kuti’s honor marks a historic moment as well. The music pioneer’s political resistance, genre-shaping catalog, and multigenerational legacy continue to echo through Afrobeats, Hip Hop and global pop culture. His influence, the Academy notes, “spans generations,” inspiring everyone from Beyoncé to Paul McCartney.
Additional awards will go to Trustees Award recipients Bernie Taupin, Eddie Palmieri, and Sylvia Rhone, while John Chowning will receive the Technical Grammy Award.
Pharrell Williams, Brandy, and Kirk Franklin to be honored during Grammy Week
In related news, Pharrell Williams, Brandy, and Kirk Franklin will also be celebrated during Grammy Week. As REVOLT previously reported, the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective is set to host its fourth annual Recording Academy Honors on Jan. 29 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
These events will spotlight artists whose impact extends far beyond the charts.