The Recording Academy has announced the recipients of its 2026 Special Merit Awards. Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon and Whitney Houston are the lifetime achievement recipients; Bernie Taupin, Eddie Palmieri and Sylvia Rhone are the Trustees Award honorees; and John Chowning is the Technical Grammy Award honoree.
Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Trustees Awards are presented to individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording. Both are voted on by the academy’s national trustees.
