Cyndi Lauper, Jason Isbell and More to Play at Recording Academy Special Merit Awards

The Recording Academy will honor the 2020 Special Merit Award recipients with Great Performances: Grammy Salute to Music Legends, a televised awards ceremony and tribute concert. Hosted by Jimmy Jam, the event will air Friday, October 16th at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS.

The 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, as announced earlier this year, are Chicago, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Iggy Pop, John Prine, Public Enemy and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Trustees Award honors will be given to Ken Ehrlich, Philip Glass and Frank Walker, and George Augspurger will receive the Technical Grammy Award. Mickey Smith Jr. will also accept this year’s Music Educator Award.

Performers include Laurie Anderson, Philip Bailey, Brandi Carlile, Cynthia Erivo, Chris Isaak, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Cyndi Lauper, Sam Moore, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Yola. Presenters include Rhiannon Giddens, Joe Mantegna, John Legend, LL Cool J, Greg Phillinganes, Henry Rollins and Don Was.

Each performer for the Special Merit Awards will honor a different award recipient. Cynthia Erivo will perform Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and will be joined by Leslie Odom, Jr., for a duet of Flack’s “Where Is The Love.” Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires and Brandi Carlile will perform John Prine songs in tribute to the late singer-songwriter and Sam Moore will perform a medley of hits by Isaac Hayes. Cyndi Lauper will also sing her hit single “Time After Time” to honor Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich.