Janet Jackson, Heart, Lucinda Williams and More Mark 2026 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala

The third annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala brought a wide range of artists to the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Friday, May 8. The program moved from Josh Groban singing the Sicilian-language version of The Godfather theme, “Brucia La Terra,” to George Clinton, joined by Erykah Badu and Blackbyrd McKnight, on Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” and “Can You Get to That.” Broadcast journalist Anthony Mason hosted again. Fourteen recordings were inducted, though only seven were performed live.

Heart, Lucinda Williams and Clinton each revisited songs tied to albums already in the Hall of Fame. Other artists interpreted inducted recordings by the Soul Stirrers, Nick Drake and Selena. Norah Jones also performed as she received the Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award, while Teddy Swims and Groban each played two songs in a tribute to Warner Records, this year’s label honoree.

The other inducted recordings not otherwise detailed included 2Pac’s All Eyez on Me, Radiohead’s OK Computer, Eric B. & Rakim’s Paid in Full, Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidanada, The Rouse Brothers’ “Orange Blossom Special” and Bertha “Chippie” Hill’s “Trouble in Mind.” The show was produced by former Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich, with Ron Basile, Chantel Sausedo and Lynne Sheridan, and musical direction from Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning composer, producer and conductor Cheche Alara.

Janet Jackson and Jimmy Jam accept Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson did not perform, but she was there to accept the award for Rhythm Nation 1814 alongside co-producer Jimmy Jam. Jackson said she was “so grateful and honored” that the album was being recognized and called it “a movement of people of all ages and backgrounds, seeking to give and receive love free of judgment.”

She added that the project still carries the same message it did when it was first made. “More than ever, my hope is that we might live in a world free of fear and despair,” she said. “The prayer driving this remains exactly the same – that peace prevail.” Jam, who co-produced the album with Terry Lewis and Jackson, said the trio was reacting to “pain and injustice and the tragedy” around them rather than aiming to make a political statement. He said the album changed lives and said much of what appears in music today, especially female empowerment, traces back to Jackson.

“You don’t have to worry about ever interviewing Janet because everything that you want to know about her is on each one of those albums.”

Jam also said he has heard stories of young people going back to school because of the album, and thanked Jackson “for trusting us to bring your vision to life.”

Heart return to Dreamboat Annie

Ann and Nancy Wilson revisited Heart’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie, with performances of “Magic Man,” “Dreamboat Annie” and “Crazy on You.” The songs first appeared on the album in 1975, with the U.S. release following six months later, and the sisters delivered them with the same force they have long carried onstage.

Ann thanked Ehrlich, the event’s producer; Don Passman, the band’s lawyer; and Mike Flicker, who produced the album. Nancy then thanked musicians from the record, including Howard Leese and Roger Fisher, calling them “the original gypsy tribe that started the whole thing.” She added, “We did this together, and the beautiful poetry and music that we made together still resonates to this day.”

Lucinda Williams on the cracks between genres

Lucinda Williams performed “Can’t Let Go” and the title track from Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, her 1998 album that is often credited with helping define Americana. The album won the Grammy for best contemporary folk album because there was no Americana category at the time.

Mason noted that without Williams, artists such as Jason Isbell, Margo Price and Brandi Carlile might not have followed in that lane. Williams, accepting the honor, said her music was once said to fall “in the cracks between country and rock,” which later became known as Americana.

“Don’t give up if your music falls between the cracks. That’s where it’s supposed to be,” she said.

She added that it felt good to be recognized “for what you do and not how many records you sell.”

Norah Jones receives the Ray Charles honor

Norah Jones was the second recipient of the Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award, following Jon Batiste last year. Jones worked with Charles and shared two Grammys with him for “Here We Go Again,” their 2004 collaboration that won record of the year and best pop collaboration with vocals.

She performed Charles’s “Seven Spanish Angels,” recorded with Willie Nelson, and “Hallelujah, I Love Her So.” Jones said the award meant a great deal to her and recalled being moved to tears when she met him. She also said her mother listened to Charles in high school and saw him perform in a high school gymnasium.

Selena’s Amor Prohibido recognized

Isabel Marie sang Selena’s “No Me Queda Más,” from the singer’s 1994 album Amor Prohibido. Selena’s older sister, Suzette Quintanilla-Arriaga, accepted the award on her behalf and thanked the Grammy Hall of Fame for recognizing the album.

She also thanked A.B. Quintanilla, who produced the project, along with Pete Astudillo and Ricky Vela, who wrote many of its songs. Quintanilla-Arriaga paid tribute to Selena, who was killed in 1995 at age 23, and said her sister is still remembered today.

“A shout out to my sister, Selena, who will forever be remembered,” she said.

Fyütch, Aura V and a children’s classic

Fyütch and Aura V performed Ella Jenkins’ “You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song.” The performance began with a clip of Jenkins singing the song on Mister Rogers Neighborhood before shifting to the father-daughter duo live onstage. Fyütch and Aura V won a Grammy in February for Harmony, which took best children’s music album.

They began in the original nursery-rhyme style before Aura V, who is 8, suggested a change. “Can we speed it up? I think it needs a little bop to it,” she said. The song ended with a hip-hop section that pushed the 1966 recording into a new setting.

Taylor Hanson takes on Nick Drake

Taylor Hanson, long associated with Hanson’s 1997 hit “MMMBop,” handled an entirely different assignment with a cover of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon.” The song opened and titled Drake’s third and final studio album, released in 1972, and its sparse sound initially puzzled listeners before the record gained stature over time.

Hanson’s performance stood out as one of the night’s more unexpected choices, especially given the distance between his pop background and Drake’s delicate material.

Warner Records is saluted

Aaron Bay-Schuck, co-chairman and CEO of Warner Records Group, and Tom Corson, co-chairman and COO, accepted the label honor and spoke about taking over one of the industry’s most established companies. Bay-Schuck said that when the leadership team arrived in 2018, it wanted to reposition Warner for the future while first acknowledging its past.

He cited Prince, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Neil Young as part of that history, and said the label had to keep talent, quality and vision at the center. He also argued that artist development should remain a priority, even in an era driven by data and algorithms.

Teddy Swims performed “Mister Know It All” and “Lose Control,” his Billboard Hot 100-topping breakthrough, while Groban sang two songs from Cinematic, which was released that same day, May 8. For more about the tribute to Warner Records, go here.