Recording Academy Announces Special Merit Awards Honorees

The Allman Brothers Band, Glen Campbell and Diana Ross are a few of the performers being recognized with Lifetime Achievement Awards as part of 2012’s Grammy Week.

The other 2012 honorees are George Jones and The Memphis Horns, as well as Gil Scott-Heron and Antonio Carlos Jobim, who are being honored posthumously.

Photo: George Tazzini / PhotosFromToday.com

MGM Grand At Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Conn.

As part of the Special Merit Awards, the Recording Academy has also revealed its Trustees Awards, which honor “contributions in areas other than performance,” and the Technical Grammy Awards, which are presented to “individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.”

The 2012 Trustees Awards recipients include musician/bandleader/composer/ arranger Dave Bartholomew, recording engineer Rudy Van Gelde, and the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

German-based company Celemony, which specialized in the digital audio pitch-correction software Melodyne, and the late audio engineer Roger Nichols are being recognized with Technical Grammy Awards.

Photo: Steve Jennings

Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, Calif.

The recipients will be honored at a special invitation-only ceremony during Grammy Week on Feb. 11. A formal acknowledgement will be made during the Grammy Awards telecast.

“This year’s honorees offer a variety of brilliance, contributions and lasting impressions on our culture,” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. “It is an honor to recognize such a diverse group of individuals whose talents and achievements have had an indelible impact on our industry.”

The 54th annual Grammy Awards are being held at Los Angeles’ Staples Center Feb. 12 and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.