The Recording Academy's Black Music Collective (BMC) will host the fourth annual Recording Academy Honors, celebrating the illustrious careers of music legends Pharrell Williams, Brandy, and Kirk Franklin. Taking place Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, the event, an official Grammy Week 2026 event, leads up to the 2026 Grammys.

Williams will receive the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, recognizing his musical achievements, entrepreneurial innovation, philanthropic efforts, and global cultural influence. Both Brandy and Franklin will each receive the Black Music Icon Award, recognizing Black music creators whose artistry, innovation and service have shaped the industry and inspired generations around the world. Adam Blackstone will return as music supervisor for the evening.

"Pharrell, Brandy and Kirk are true visionaries and masters of their craft. Each has built a legacy that transcends genre, defies convention and shapes culture. Their artistry continues to inspire generations of artists around the world. I'm thrilled to join the Black Music Collective in honoring three of music's brightest stars in January and celebrating their immeasurable contributions to the industry," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said.

Past Recording Academy Honors honorees include Alicia Keys, Dr. Dre, JAY-Z, John Legend, Lenny Kravitz, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, and Sylvia Rhone.

Grammy Week is the Recording Academy's weeklong celebration comprising official Grammy Week events celebrating the music community and current Grammy nominees in the lead-up to the annual Grammy Awards. Grammy Week 2026 culminates with the 2026 Grammys, which take place live Sunday, Feb. 1, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The 2026 Grammys will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+ at 5-8:30 p.m. PT/8-11:30 p.m. ET. Hours ahead of the live telecast, the 2026 Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on live.grammy.com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.

Learn more about Pharrell Williams below:

Williams is a 13-time GRAMMY Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated musician, filmmaker, philanthropist, and the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, with over 10 billion combined global music streams to date.  This year, Williams produced Let God Sort Em Out, the highly anticipated return from Clipse, which earned five GRAMMY nominations, including Album Of The Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Album, and Best Music Video. In 2024, Pharrell released his critically acclaimed animated biopic PIECE BY PIECE, directed by Morgan Neville in partnership with Focus Features and LEGO. The film features a 21-track soundtrack, including five new original songs written and performed by Williams alongside 16 catalog tracks from his career. Its titular single earned him a GRAMMY nomination for Best Film Music, bringing his career total to 43 GRAMMY nominations. Beyond music and film, Williams founded YELLOW in 2019, a nonprofit committed to evening the odds for youth through education. That same year, he launched the first SOMETHING IN THE WATER festival. In 2020, he debuted Humanrace, a brand dedicated to empowering individuals in their pursuit of well-being. Williams also launched Black Ambition, a nonprofit providing pathways to success for Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.

Learn more about Brandy below:

Multi-platinum, GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and actress Brandy is one of the most influential artists in pop music history. She first rose to fame in the '90s with her quadruple-platinum self-titled debut album, her starring role in the hit sitcom Moesha and her iconic performance in Disney's television adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Revered by peers and fans as "the Vocal Bible," Brandy is celebrated for her unparalleled, emotionally rich voice and genre-defining catalog – from her five-time-platinum album Never Say Never and its GRAMMY-winning classic "The Boy Is Mine" to her acclaimed 2020 album b7. In 2023, she released Christmas With Brandy, a holiday album highlighting her continued evolution as a vocalist and storyteller. She continues to expand her creative imprint through acting, with roles in A24's The Front Room, Disney's Descendants: The Rise of Red and the 2025 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. She is currently preparing to release her memoir PHASES, described as the result of countless hours of reflection, work and healing.

Learn more about Kirk Franklin below:

Franklin is a 20-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist, songwriter and producer whose innovative fusion of gospel, R&B, hip-hop, and pop has redefined contemporary gospel music for more than three decades. His critically acclaimed 2023 album Father's Day featured the No. 1 single "All Things," earning him his 20th GRAMMY Award, followed by the uplifting 2025 release "Do It Again." Franklin recently received the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards for his enduring influence across music and entertainment, and debuted his original series Den of Kings, which drew over one million views in its first week. His influence spans generations and genres, highlighted by collaborations with artists such as Chance the Rapper, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, and Mariah Carey. Beyond music, he continues to broaden his creative footprint through television and film, as well as his SiriusXM channel, Kirk Franklin's Praise. A committed mentor and advocate, he supports emerging talent through initiatives like Camp Lotus and champions organizations such as Compassion International and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He remains committed to inspiring people worldwide with a message rooted in faith, love and resilience.

Franklin was initially set to be honored during the 2025 event prior to the Recording Academy's decision to condense GRAMMY Week programming to prioritize Los Angeles wildfire response. See here for Franklin's initial announcement as the Black Music Icon Award honoree.

Learn more about the Black Music Collective below:

The Black Music Collective (BMC) is an advisory board of music industry leaders dedicated to advancing opportunities in Black music and championing increased representation across the field. Since its inception, the BMC has remained dedicated to championing and empowering Black music creators and industry leaders. Powered by the Recording Academy's DREAM Network, the BMC serves as a central hub for creators and business leaders across all genres, uniting visionary voices to set unified goals, foster community and drive meaningful change within the industry. In further support of its mission to cultivate the next generation of Black leaders in music, the BMC awarded $85,000 in scholarship grants last year to Black college students and HBCU music programs.Learn more about the Black Music Collective and follow the BMC on Instagram and Facebook for more news and updates.

Learn more about the Black Music Collective and the Recording Academy's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, recent DEI achievements, and year-round work to support artists, creators and music professionals of all backgrounds.

Award-winning global creative and experiential agency MVD Inc. returns to produce Recording Academy Honors for the fourth consecutive year. Guests will enjoy specialty cocktails by PATRÓN Tequila throughout the star-studded celebration.