RECORDING ACADEMY SELECTS HONOREES

The Recording Academy will honor Neil Diamond, Queen, Emmylou Harris, drummer Hal Blaine, New Orleans funk legends The Meters, jump blues great Louis Jordan and Tina Turner with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Sire Records chief Seymour Stein, the late concert promoter Bill Graham and film composer John Williams are the Trustees Awards recipients.

Eventide’s Tony Agnello and Richard Factor will receive the Technical Grammy for inventing and producing a wide variety of original audio effects devices. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in the summer.

The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers, while the Trustees Award honors contributions in areas other than performance. The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees determines the honorees of both awards.

"This year's Special Merit Awards recipients are a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "These exceptionally inspiring figures are being honored as legendary performers, creative architects, and technical visionaries.”