Singer Frankie Beverly of the R&B group Maze performs onstage at Wembly on February 27, 1987, in London, England.
Photo by David Corio/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images.
Frankie Beverly to Receive Posthumous Grammy Special Merit Honor Award
The beloved soul music frontman passed away last September at the age of 77.
Legendary soul singer and Maze frontman Frankie Beverly will be honored with a posthumous Grammy at this year’s Special Merit Awards ceremony in February. The Recording Academy’s Special Merit Award is an official Grammy Week event, happening this year in Los Angeles on February 1st.
Frankie Beverly, who died in September at the age of 77, founded the band that became Maze in the 1970s as Raw Soul, and would go on to become one of the most beloved figures in soul music. Frankie Beverly & Maze would build an enviable legacy on hit recordings like “Happy Feelings” and “Before I Let Go,” and critically acclaimed albums like Joy and Pain and We Are One. Maze truly became one of the most celebrated live acts of their generation, with Frankie Beverly as the focal point for a tremendous stage show.
Frankie Beverly is to be honored with a 2025 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside other luminaries such as gospel icon Dr. Bobby Jones, blues star Taj Mahal, punk icons The Clash, legendary rapper Roxanne Shante and Four Seasons singer Frankie Valli. Also being celebrated at this year’s Special Merit Awards, Glyn Johns, Tania Leon and Erroll Garner will receive the Trustees Award, and the Technical Grammy will celebrated Dr. Leo Beranek.
“It's an amazing privilege to honor this eclectic group of music icons during the year's biggest week in music," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. said via statement. "Each of this year's Special Merit Award recipients has left an indelible mark on music, from paving the way for others to innovation that forever has changed the trajectory of the musical landscape. We can't wait to celebrate this group and their achievements in February."
It should be noted that Frankie Beverly & Maze never won a competitive Grammy during their 50+year career.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will air at 8pm EST on February 2nd, the day after the Special Merit Awards Ceremony, live from Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
