The U.S. Recording Academy Announces 2026 Merit Award Winners
Automatic translation. Read the Russian original
The U.S. Recording Academy will announce the winners of the Special Merit Awards in 2026, honoring outstanding artists who have had an enormous impact on music for generations. Awardees will include Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Cher, Fela Cooty, Paul Simon and, posthumously, Whitney Houston. In addition, Bernie Taupin and Eddie Palmieri will be honored, as well as John Choening for technical achievements.
The awards ceremony will take place on January 31, 2026 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, on the eve of the 68th annual Grammy Awards. Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. noted the significance of the event, highlighting the long-term impact of each laureate.
Special emphasis will be placed on the awarding of Eddie Palmieri, who will receive the award less than six months after his passing, as well as the posthumous recognition of Fel Cooty (1997) and Whitney Houston (2012). Paul Simon will receive the award for his solo career, complementing the list of laureates including Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison. Bernie Taupin, also nominated for a Grammy, will be the first recipient of a Merit Award and is predicted to win Best Song Written for Visual Media for Elton John’s “Never Too Late.”