meta-scriptLifetime Achievement Award | GRAMMY.com

Lifetime Achievement Award

This Special Merit, The Lifetime Achievement Award, is presented by vote of the Recording Academy's National Trustees to performers* who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. (*Through 1972, recipients included non-performers.) 

Past Recipients

Roy Acuff
Awarded: 1987
Allman Brothers Band, The
Awarded: 2012
Laurie Anderson
Awarded: 2024
Marian Anderson
Awarded: 1991
Julie Andrews
Awarded: 2011
Louis Armstrong
Awarded: 1972
Eddy Arnold
Awarded: 2005
Fred Astaire
Awarded: 1989
Chet Atkins
Awarded: 1993
Gene Autry
Awarded: 2009
Burt Bacharach
Awarded: 2008
Joan Baez
Awarded: 2007
The Band
Awarded: 2008
Count Basie
Awarded: 2002
Beach Boys
Awarded: 2001
The Beatles
Awarded: 2014
Bee Gees
Awarded: 2015
Harry Belafonte
Awarded: 2000
Tony Bennett
Awarded: 2001
Irving Berlin
Awarded: 1968
Leonard Bernstein
Awarded: 1985
Chuck Berry
Awarded: 1984
Black Sabbath
Awarded: 2019
Hal Blaine
Awarded: 2018
Art Blakey
Awarded: 2005
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Awarded: 1997
Blind Boys Of Alabama
Awarded: 2009
Booker T. & The MG's
Awarded: 2007
Pierre Boulez
Awarded: 2015
David Bowie
Awarded: 2006
James Brown
Awarded: 1992
Ruth Brown
Awarded: 2016
Dave Brubeck
Awarded: 1996
Shirley Caesar
Awarded: 2017
Maria Callas
Awarded: 2007
Cab Calloway
Awarded: 2008
Glen Campbell
Awarded: 2012
Carter Family
Awarded: 2005
Benny Carter
Awarded: 1987
Enrico Caruso
Awarded: 1987
Pablo Casals
Awarded: 1989
Johnny Cash
Awarded: 1999
Chicago
Awarded: 2020
Ray Charles
Awarded: 1987
The Clark Sisters
Awarded: 2024
Clifton Chenier
Awarded: 2014
Van Cliburn
Awarded: 2004
Patsy Cline
Awarded: 1995
George Clinton & Parliament - Funkadelic
Awarded: 2019
Rosemary Clooney
Awarded: 2002
Leonard Cohen
Awarded: 2010
Nat "King" Cole
Awarded: 1990
Ornette Coleman
Awarded: 2007
John Coltrane
Awarded: 1992
Perry Como
Awarded: 2002
Sam Cooke
Awarded: 1999
Cream
Awarded: 2006
Bing Crosby
Awarded: 1963
Celia Cruz
Awarded: 2016
Bobby Darin
Awarded: 2010
Miles Davis
Awarded: 1990
Sammy Davis Jr.
Awarded: 2001
Doris Day
Awarded: 2008
Neil Diamond
Awarded: 2018
Bo Diddley
Awarded: 1998
Fats Domino
Awarded: 1987
Bob Dylan
Awarded: 1991
Earth, Wind & Fire
Awarded: 2016
Billy Eckstine
Awarded: 2019
David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Awarded: 2010
Duke Ellington
Awarded: 1966
Bill Evans
Awarded: 1994
Everly Brothers
Awarded: 1997
Ella Fitzgerald
Awarded: 1967
Roberta Flack
Awarded: 2020
Four Tops
Awarded: 2009
Aretha Franklin
Awarded: 1994
Funk Brothers, The
Awarded: 2004
Judy Garland
Awarded: 1997
Marvin Gaye
Awarded: 1996
Dizzy Gillespie
Awarded: 1989
Benny Goodman
Awarded: 1986
Glenn Gould
Awarded: 2013
Morton Gould
Awarded: 2005
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Awarded: 2021
Stephane Grappelli
Awarded: 1997
Grateful Dead
Awarded: 2007
Al Green
Awarded: 2002
Woody Guthrie
Awarded: 2000
Buddy Guy
Awarded: 2015
Charlie Haden
Awarded: 2013
Merle Haggard
Awarded: 2006
Lionel Hampton
Awarded: 2021
Herbie Hancock
Awarded: 2016
Emmylou Harris
Awarded: 2018
George Harrison
Awarded: 2015
Donny Hathaway
Awarded: 2019
Isaac Hayes
Awarded: 2020
Roy Haynes
Awarded: 2011
Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart
Awarded: 2023
Jascha Heifetz
Awarded: 1989
Jimi Hendrix
Awarded: 1992
Woody Herman
Awarded: 1987
Billie Holiday
Awarded: 1987
Buddy Holly
Awarded: 1997
John Lee Hooker
Awarded: 2000
Lightnin' Hopkins
Awarded: 2013
Lena Horne
Awarded: 1989
Marilyn Horne
Awarded: 2021
Vladimir Horowitz
Awarded: 1990
Iggy Pop
Awarded: 2020
Julio Iglesias
Awarded: 2019
The Isley Brothers
Awarded: 2014
Mahalia Jackson
Awarded: 1972
Michael Jackson
Awarded: 2010
Ahmad Jamal
Awarded: 2017
Etta James
Awarded: 2003
Jefferson Airplane
Awarded: 2016
Jelly Roll Morton
Awarded: 2005
Ella Jenkins
Awarded: 2004
Flaco Jiménez
Awarded: 2015
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Awarded: 2012
Robert Johnson
Awarded: 2006
George Jones
Awarded: 2012
Hank Jones
Awarded: 2009
Janis Joplin
Awarded: 2005
Louis Jordan
Awarded: 2018
Juilliard String Quartet
Awarded: 2011
B.B. King
Awarded: 1987
Carole King
Awarded: 2013
Kingston Trio
Awarded: 2011
Gladys Knight
Awarded: 2024
Kraftwerk
Awarded: 2014
Kris Kristofferson
Awarded: 2014
Led Zeppelin
Awarded: 2005
Brenda Lee
Awarded: 2009
Peggy Lee
Awarded: 1995
John Lennon
Awarded: 1991
Jerry Lee Lewis
Awarded: 2005
Little Richard
Awarded: 1993
The Louvin Brothers
Awarded: 2015
Loretta Lynn
Awarded: 2010
Henry Mancini
Awarded: 1995
Armando Manzanero
Awarded: 2014
Bob Marley
Awarded: 2001
Dean Martin
Awarded: 2009
Johnny Mathis
Awarded: 2003
Curtis Mayfield
Awarded: 1995
Paul McCartney
Awarded: 1990
Bobby McFerrin
Awarded: 2023
Memphis Horns, The
Awarded: 2012
The Meters
Awarded: 2018
Glenn Miller
Awarded: 2003
Mitch Miller
Awarded: 2000
Mills Brothers
Awarded: 1998
Charles Mingus
Awarded: 1997
Joni Mitchell
Awarded: 2002
Thelonious Monk
Awarded: 1993
Bill Monroe
Awarded: 1993
Sam & Dave
Awarded: 2019
Willie Nelson
Awarded: 2000
Nirvana
Awarded: 2023
Jessye Norman
Awarded: 2006
N.W.A.
Awarded: 2024
Roy Orbison
Awarded: 1998
Patti Page
Awarded: 2013
Charlie Parker
Awarded: 1984
Dolly Parton
Awarded: 2011
Tom Paxton
Awarded: 2009
Pinetop Perkins
Awarded: 2005
Itzhak Perlman
Awarded: 2008
Oscar Peterson
Awarded: 1997
Maud Powell
Awarded: 2014
Elvis Presley
Awarded: 1971
André Previn
Awarded: 2010
Leontyne Price
Awarded: 1989
Charley Pride
Awarded: 2017
John Prine
Awarded: 2020
Richard Pryor
Awarded: 2006
Public Enemy
Awarded: 2020
Tito Puente
Awarded: 2003
Queen
Awarded: 2018
Ma Rainey
Awarded: 2023
Bonnie Raitt
Awarded: 2021
Ramones
Awarded: 2011
Otis Redding
Awarded: 1999
Max Roach
Awarded: 2008
Paul Robeson
Awarded: 1998
Smokey Robinson
Awarded: 1999
Jimmie Rodgers
Awarded: 2017
Nile Rodgers
Awarded: 2023
Rolling Stones
Awarded: 1986
Sonny Rollins
Awarded: 2004
Linda Ronstadt
Awarded: 2016
Diana Ross
Awarded: 2012
Artur Rubinstein
Awarded: 1994
Run DMC
Awarded: 2016
Salt-n-Pepa
Awarded: 2021
Gil Scott-Heron
Awarded: 2012
Earl Scruggs
Awarded: 2008
Pete Seeger
Awarded: 1993
Andrés Segovia
Awarded: 1986
Selena
Awarded: 2021
Ravi Shankar
Awarded: 2013
Artie Shaw
Awarded: 2004
George Beverly Shea
Awarded: 2011
Wayne Shorter
Awarded: 2015
Simon And Garfunkel
Awarded: 2003
Nina Simone
Awarded: 2017
Frank Sinatra
Awarded: 1965
Slick Rick “The Ruler”
Awarded: 2023
Bessie Smith
Awarded: 1989
Georg Solti
Awarded: 1996
Staple Singers
Awarded: 2005
Isaac Stern
Awarded: 1987
Sly Stone
Awarded: 2017
Igor Stravinsky
Awarded: 1987
Barbra Streisand
Awarded: 1995
Donna Summer
Awarded: 2024
The Supremes
Awarded: 2023
Talking Heads
Awarded: 2021
Art Tatum
Awarded: 1989
The Temptations
Awarded: 2013
Clark Terry
Awarded: 2010
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Awarded: 2020
Doors, The
Awarded: 2007
Mel Tormé
Awarded: 1999
Arturo Toscanini
Awarded: 1987
Tina Turner
Awarded: 2018
Sarah Vaughan
Awarded: 1989
Velvet Underground
Awarded: 2017
Fats Waller
Awarded: 1993
Dionne Warwick
Awarded: 2019
Muddy Waters
Awarded: 1992
Doc Watson
Awarded: 2004
Weavers, The
Awarded: 2006
Kitty Wells
Awarded: 1991
The Who
Awarded: 2001
Hank Williams
Awarded: 1987
Bob Wills
Awarded: 2007
Stevie Wonder
Awarded: 1996
Tammy Wynnette
Awarded: 2024
Frank Zappa
Awarded: 1997