Rapper JAY Z, 47, has amassed 21 gongs from the glitzy Grammy award ceremonies in the past 18 years, and he is now set to receive the highest award as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science set to bestow on him Salute to Industry Icons Award.
In a statement, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow described Jay-Z – who has five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and four-month-old twins Rumi and Sir with his wife Beyoncé – as a “music visionary”, and said he was “thrilled” to announce him as the recipient of the Icon Award.
Jay Z with some of his Grammy awards
He said: “We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to honour Jay-Z with this year’s Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Award. His contributions as an industry trailblazer and music visionary only begin to touch on the tremendous impact he’s made both in entertainment and beyond. Jay-Z also embodies the vibrant spirit of New York City and we couldn’t imagine a more fitting honouree as we return to Manhattan for this year’s Grammy Awards.”
The ‘Empire State of Mind’ hitmaker will join the likes of Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Irving Azoff, Martin Bandier, Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Debra L. Lee, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin and Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid when he is formally awarded the honour during the ceremony on January 28 2018.
The full list of nominees for the awards show is set to be announced on November 28, and with the critical acclaim Jay-Z received for his recent album ’4:44’, there’s a chance he could be in with a chance of taking home more than one gong.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Sean Carter, has picked up 21 awards out of 64 nominations, including three for Best Rap Song, two for Best R&B Song, and one for Best Rap Album.
The 60th Grammy Awards will air on January 28, 2018 on CBS.
