Andra Day, The War and Treaty, Shinedown and Ravyn Lenae are the first performers announced for the inaugural Grammy Hall of Fame Gala. The gala, co-presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, will take place on May 21 at the Novo Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Veteran CBS broadcast journalist Anthony Mason will serve as host.
Day won a Grammy two years ago for best compilation soundtrack for visual media for The United States vs. Billie Holiday. The War and Treaty received two Grammy nods late last year, including best new artist.
The annual gala will celebrate the 10 recordings being added that year to the Grammy Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees, announced on March 20, are De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Buena Vista Social Club’s Buena Vista Social Club and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, as well as singles by Donna Summer, the Doobie Brothers, Charley Pride, Wanda Jackson, William Bell and Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra.
The annual gala will also honor a label, with the first being Atlantic Records, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
“We’re honored that the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum have chosen Atlantic to be the first label celebrated at what promises to be an exciting annual event,” said Atlantic Music Group chairman & CEO Julie Greenwald and Atlantic Records chairman & CEO Craig Kallman. “The Grammy Hall of Fame includes many of the most groundbreaking recordings in our company’s 75-year history, and it will be great to hear some of our outstanding current artists bring their unique voices to these timeless songs.”
The event will include a red carpet and VIP reception on the Ray Charles Terrace at the Grammy Museum followed by a concert at the Novo.
This year’s show will be produced by Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile. Greg Phillinganes will serve as musical director.
Ehrlich served as producer or executive producer of the Grammy Awards telecast for 40 years. He received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 2020, his last year as executive producer, honoring his service. Phillinganes has won two Primetime Emmys as musical director on previous Ehrlich productions – Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life – An All-Star Grammy Salute and Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song: Joni Mitchell.
The Grammy Hall of Fame was established in 1973, with the first five selections announced on the Grammy telecast in March 1974. The original intent was to honor recordings released before the inception of the Grammys in 1958, but it long ago shifted to any recordings that are at least 25 years old. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a special member committee, with final ratification by the academy’s national board of trustees. Counting the 10 new titles, the Hall currently has 1,152 inducted recordings. Recipients will receive a certificate from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, but not a Grammy trophy. Here’s the full list of past inducted recordings.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, April 27 at 12 p.m. PT at this link.