Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, & More to Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards
Written by b87fm on 12/21/2025
The Recording Academy has officially announced its 2026 Special Merit Award recipients, with music legends Chaka Khan and the late Whitney Houston headlining a class that spans generations and genres. Both artists will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards, honoring careers that reshaped the sound and scope of global music.
“It’s a true honor to recognize this year’s Special Merit Award recipients,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement. “This is an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres and the very foundation of modern music. Each of these honorees has made a profound and lasting impact, and we look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements.”
Whitney Houston’s posthumous recognition further cements her place among the most influential vocalists in history. A six-time Grammy winner with more than 200 million records sold worldwide, Houston redefined vocal excellence in pop and R&B. Beyond chart dominance, she shattered racial barriers in mainstream music and film, opening doors for generations of Black women to thrive on global stages. Her honor follows a similar Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on her cousin, Dionne Warwick, underscoring the family’s deep musical legacy.
Chaka Khan, widely hailed as the “Queen of Funk,” is being celebrated for a career defined by fearlessness, range, and longevity. With 10 Grammy Awards and more than five decades in music, Khan has effortlessly crossed R&B, funk, pop, jazz, and gospel without ever losing her artistic identity. Her work with Rufus and her solo catalog helped normalize genre-blending collaborations, producing classics like “Tell Me Something Good,” “Sweet Thing,” and “I Feel For You.”
Also receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards are Afro-Latin rock icon Carlos Santana and the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, whose revolutionary sound and political messaging continue to influence artists worldwide.
The 2026 Special Merit Awards spotlight artists whose contributions extend far beyond hits and trophies — honoring legacies that fundamentally changed how music is created, performed, and experienced.
