Black Sabbath are among the acts set to be honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
The award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording.
“From their power riffs to their dark, gothic imagery,” says The Recording Academy, “Black Sabbath arguably invented the heavy metal signposts and influenced every heavy rock band that followed.”
Joining the iconic hard rockers as recipients of the prestigious recognition from The Recording Academy are George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, Sam & Dave, and Dionne Warwick.
"Each year, the Recording Academy has the distinct privilege of celebrating music industry giants who have greatly contributed to our cultural heritage," explains Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "This year, we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees and their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come."
A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the performers will be held on May 11 in Los Angeles, with additional details to be announced in the coming weeks.
Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham, UK in 1968 from the ashes of a pair of local acts: guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward from Mythology, and singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler from Rare Breed.
Originally featuring two additional musicians and billed as the Polka Tuck Blues Band, the 6-piece lineup eventually became a four-piece under the name Earth before ultimately becoming Black Sabbath in August of 1969…and releasing their groundbreaking self-titled debut album just six months later in February of 1970.
With more than 70 million albums sold worldwide, Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall Of Fame in 2005 and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006.
The group wrapped up a farewell tour in their hometown of Birmingham, UK in February of 2017; their final performance is featured on the live package “The End”, which was issued last fall.
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