Recording Academy to honor Whitney Houston with lifetime achievement award

Whitney Houston is set to be honoured with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award next year.

The iconic singer, who died in 2012, will be celebrated at a Los Angeles ceremony in January 2026 as part of the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards.

Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Kuti and Paul Simon are also due to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards during the same event.

These Lifetime Achievement Awards are given to artists whose creative work has left a lasting and exceptional artistic mark on the recording world.

Bernie Taupin, Eddie Palmieri and Sylvia Rhone will be honoured with Trustees Awards, while John Chowning will receive the Technical Grammy Award.

Trustees Awards recognise individuals whose impact on the recording industry extends beyond performance, while Technical Grammy Awards acknowledge groundbreaking technical contributions to recorded music.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said: "It's a true honour to recognise 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 honourees has made a profound and lasting impact, and we look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements on the eve of Grammy Sunday."

Grammy Week is the Recording Academy’s weeklong series of official events that spotlight the music industry and current Grammy nominees ahead of the annual Grammy Awards.

Grammy Week 2026 will conclude with the 2026 Grammys, set to air live on Sunday, February 1, from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Taupin stands out as the only Special Merit Award recipient this year who is also nominated for a 2026 Grammy.

He earned a nomination for best song written for visual media for Never Too Late from Elton John: Never Too Late.