Los Angeles, CA (December 23, 2020)—The Recording Academy has announced the honorees for its 2021 Special Merit Awards, the honorees of which will be recognized on the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31, 2021. Among the various honorees are a number of behind-the-scenes pros, including producer/artist Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and the late noted recording engineer Ed Cherney for Trustee Awards, and digital technology pioneer Daniel Weiss for the Technical GRAMMY Award.
“As we welcome the new class of Special Merit Award honorees, it gives us a chance to reward and recognize the influence they’ve had in the music community regardless of genre,” Harvey Mason jr., Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said. “As a music creator and music lover, I am grateful that we are able to look back at our influences and see the impact that they have made on our community. In a year where music has helped keep us together, I look forward to honoring this iconic group of music creators.”
Ed Cherney was one of the most sought-after engineers in the industry. His four-decade career began as an assistant engineer working with Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones on Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall. Cherney went on to record, mix and engineer albums for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. A four-time GRAMMY winner, he also won an Emmy and eight TEC awards over his career, founded the Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing, was a founding member of the METAlliance, and even occasionally wrote in Pro Sound News.
Producer, recording artists and label owner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds is an 11-time GRAMMY winner, and has a record four Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical awards. He has been instrumental in the careers of artists such as Toni Braxton, Usher and TLC and has crafted hundreds of pop and R&B hits with artists including Whitney Houston, the Whispers, Brandy, Boyz II Men, Madonna, and Eric Clapton.
A pioneer of digital technology, Daniel Weiss founded Weiss Engineering Ltd. in Zurich, Switzerland in 1985. The company has designed and manufactured digital audio equipment for mastering studios, including the IBIS digital mixing console and the ultra-high-quality Gambit Series digital products.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and Talking Heads, while Benny Golson will also be a Trustees Award honoree.
The Recording Academy • www.grammy.com