The 2023 Grammy Awards are just a month away, but before the gala event, the Recording Academy has a week of events scheduled including the annual MusiCares event and a special ceremony where the Academy will present a number of Special Merit Awards.  For the first time since the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony will be a live in person event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on February 4.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr spoke on the awards saying, “the Academy is proud to celebrate this diverse slate of influential music people spanning numerous genres and crafts as our 2023 Special Merit Awards honorees.  Each creator on this list has made an impact on our industry — from technical to creative achievements — representing the breadth of music’s diverse community. We’re excited to celebrate this group of legends next month that continues to inspire and shape the music world.”

Bobby McFerrin, Nirvana, Ma Rainey, Nile Rodgers, Slick Rick “The Ruler”, The Supremes, and the members of Heart – Ann and Nancy Wilson – will all receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Recording Academy for their contributions to music.

Henry Diltz, Ellis Marsalis, and Jim Stewart will all receive the Trustees Award.

The Audio Engineering Society and Dr. Andy Hildebrand will receive Technical Grammy Awards.

Best known to many for his smash hit song “Don’t Worry Be Happy”, Bobby McFerrin is a 10 time Grammy Award winner and a vocal virtuoso who has spawned a whole new generation of A Cappella performers.  He has worked with the likes of Chck Corea and Yo-Yo Ma.

While their creator Kurt Cobain is no longer with them, Nirvana continues to see success with over 75 million albums sold and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Known as the “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey is being awarded posthumously.  The songwriter and performer packed houses.  Between 1923 and 1928 she recorded some 100 albums.

Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame member Nile Rodgers was instrumental in launching the Disco era with his band Chic and its hit “Le Freak”.  The three time Grammy Award winner has worked with numerous artists and sold millions of records.

Slick Rick “The Ruler” is the most sampled Hip-Hop artist and storyteller in history.  Songs from his catalog have been sampled over 850 times including by Snoop Dogg, Beyonce, and J. Cole.

The two Grammy Award winning female trio known as The Supremes were won of the top groups to come out of Detroit and Motown Records in the ‘60’s.  Of the original trio, Diana Ross is the lone survivor.  Named the number one female recording group by Billboard magazine, The Supremes has 12 number one hit songs – five of them consecutively.  The Supremes have been inducted into the Rock and Roll and the Vocal Group Halls of Fame.

Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and sold over 35 million albums.  And they hold the record for the most top 10 albums on the Billboard chart by a female band.

Henry Diltz is a photographer who has helped to create over 250 album covers and has taken thousands of publicity photographs including the Eagles, Neil Young, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jackson Browne, America, Steppenwolf, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, The Monkees, Joni Mitchell, Linda Rondstadt, David Cassidy.

Marsalis family patriarch Ellis is seen as the premier modern jazz pianist in New Orleans.  He became the first endowed chair of Jazz studies at the University of New Orleans.  He is a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and an NEA Jazz Master.

Stax Records founder Jim Stewart helped to create some 800 singles, 300 albums, and nearly 250 top 10 singles from his artists including Otis Redding, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. & the M.G.s, the Staple Singers, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King,  and Rufus and Carla Thomas.  He is an early member of the Memphis Hall of Fame.

The only professional society devoted to advancing audio technology, the Audio Engineering Society was founded in 1948 and continue to and continue to set precedents and standards in audio engineering.

Dr. Andy Hildebrand is the man who created auto-tune!  He is a member of the Technology Hall of Fame for his invention.