First Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala Inspires Future Artists

The Grammy Museum will debut a new annual music industry event tomorrow with its inaugural Grammy Hall of Fame Gala. Live performances will bring William Bell, Hanson, Elle King, Andra Day, Ravyn Lenae, Shinedown and The War and Treaty to the stage at The Novo in Los Angeles.

A related online auction is spotlighting platinum tickets to the 2025 Grammy Awards and a collection of guitars signed by artists like Taylor Swift, Joni Mitchell, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel.

The gala is celebrating inducted recordings for the Grammy Hall Of Fame with all proceeds benefiting museum music education programs that make music accessible to everyone and inspire future generations of artists. According to the Grammy Museum, funding raised through the Campaign For Music Education doubles the number of students who enjoy access to museum galleries each year and expands educational and community programs serving more than 477,000 students.

Grammy Museum president and CEO Michael Sticka explains that the museum celebrates music through exhibits, its collection and grants program. Each year since 2000, grants continue to support music research and preservation.

“It’s going to be an absolutely stellar night,” says Grammy Museum president and CEO Michael Sticka. “We have been on a significant path of growth over the past six years. Covid stalled that, but we grew digitally, and this year is going to be our largest year in terms of attendance.”

The inaugural gala will honor 2024 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted recordings on its 50th anniversary, including De La Soul’s 3 Feet High And Rising, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction and Buena Vista Social Club’s Buena Vista Social Club as well as recordings by Donna Summer, Wanda Jackson and Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra.

Andra Day will ​perform a song from Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill​ while William Bell ​presents his song “You Don’t Miss Your Water”​. The War and Treaty ​is set to showcase Charley Pride’s “Kiss An Angel Good Morning”​, and Elle King will sing Wanda Jackson’s “Let’s Have A Party”​. Also on the schedule is H​anson ​performing the Doobie Brothers’ “What A Fool Believes”​, Ravyn Lenae ​​spotlighting Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly”​​ and Shinedown ​presenting Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven.”

Hanson says, “(The Doobie Brothers) are renowned for effortlessly merging memorable pop melodies with intricate musical arrangements. We feel privileged to be asked to help honor the legacy of this iconic recording by some of our greatest musical influences, cementing this timeless music into the fabric of the esteemed Grammy Hall Of Fame.”

A tribute to Atlantic Records, the gala will be hosted by veteran CBS broadcast journalist Anthony Mason joined by Michael Sticka, president and CEO of the Grammy Museum, Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, and Julie Greenwald, chairperson and CEO of Atlantic Records Group. A red carpet and VIP reception will be held on the museum’s Ray Charles Terrace.

Presented by City National Bank, the gala was produced by executive producer of the Grammy Awards, Ken Ehrlich, with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile and musical direction by producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes.

The G​rammy Hall Of Fame​, established by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 1973​, includes ​Inducted recordings​ selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees. ​With just 10 new titles this year compared to 25 or more in the past, the hall​ totals 1,152 inducted recordings in the G​rammy Hall Of Fame. Recipients receive an official certificate from the Recording Academy and G​rammy Museum.

Next year, the Grammy Museum plans to unveil new exhibits and open a permanent Grammy Hall of Fame interactive exhibit, signaling a growing partnership between the museum and the Recording Academy.