For the first time since 2020’s Grammy Week, the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony will return this year. The event celebrates the Academy’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award, Technical Grammy Award, and Best Song for Social Change Award recipients.
The production is set for Feb. 4, 2023, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
Nirvana is among the 2023 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. Nile Rodgers, Slick Rick, the Supremes and Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson of Heart are also being honored. In addition, Henry Diltz, Ellis Marsalis and Jim Stewart will receive the Trustees Award. The Audio Engineering Society and Dr. Andy Hildebrand will be the Technical Grammy Award honorees.
In naming Nirvana as an award recipient, the Academy said the impact of the band’s breakout single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” would transform Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl into “one of the most successful and influential musical entities of all time.”
“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,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “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.”
