Wayne Shorter, George Wein to Receive Grammy Special Merit Awards

Saxophonist and Newport Festival founder among 2015 honorees

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The Recording Academy, the institution behind the Grammy Awards, has announced its 2015 Special Merit Awards recipients. They include a Lifetime Achievement Award for saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter, 81, and a Trustees Award for George Wein, the 89-year-old founder and producer of the Newport Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and other music events. The latter award, says a press release, “recognizes outstanding contributions in areas other than performance.” 

In addition to Shorter, Lifetime Achievement Awards will be given to the Bee Gees, Pierre Boulez, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Flaco Jiménez and the Louvin Brothers. Wein joins pop music producer Richard Perry and the songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil as a 2015 Trustees Award recipient.

The award ceremony will take place at a special invitation-only event during Grammy Week on Feb. 7. The 57th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live the following evening on the CBS Television Network.