Pick a Day

Music History Events: Awards and Honors

January 26, 2020 Billie Eilish, 18, wins big at the Grammys as the death of Kobe Bryant and an internal scandal cast a cloud on the ceremony.More

September 10, 2018 John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice all win Emmys for their work on the NBC special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, earning all three EGOT. Only 12 other people had previously won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Legend's Oscar came from "Glory"; his Tony for production work on Jitney.

November 27, 2017 Country singer Blake Shelton is named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." He's the second musician to receive the honor in the annual feature's 32-year run; the first was Adam Levine, his fellow coach on The Voice, in 2013.

June 15, 2017 Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

April 7, 2017 Pearl Jam, Nile Rodgers, Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Joan Baez, Tupac Shakur and Yes are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.More

March 18, 2017 Katy Perry accepts the National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign for her work supporting LGBTQ causes. In her speech, she admits that she did more than just kiss a girl.More

February 22, 2017 Longtime blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge receives the UFO Researcher Of The Year Award at the International UFO Congress.More

February 12, 2017 Adele opens the Grammy Awards with a performance of "Hello," which wins for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Later, she sings "Fastlove" in a tribute to George Michael, who passed away on Christmas day, 2016. Before she can finish the first chorus, she stops the song and starts over, saying, "I can't mess this up for him."More

February 10, 2017 Tom Petty is honored as Person of the Year at the MusiCares gala, held two days before the Grammy Awards. "Twenty years ago I'd have been way too cynical to do this, but I'm 66 now and I feel ya," he says in his speech.More

December 10, 2016 Bob Dylan accepts the Nobel Prize in Literature. He doesn't attend the ceremony, but sends an insightful speech that is read by the US ambassador to Sweden.More

February 28, 2016 At the Oscars, Lady Gaga is introduced by Vice President Joe Biden and performs "Til It Happens To You" joined by a group of sexual assault survivors. A few minutes later, it loses the Best Song award to Sam Smith's "Writing's On The Wall."More

February 15, 2016 In her Grammy acceptance speech for Album of the Year, Taylor Swift warns of "people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame." This is in response to Kanye West, who rapped about Swift, "I made that bitch famous" in his song "Famous."More

August 12, 2015 Elvis Presley is granted the honor of a second postage stamp bearing his likeness (the first was introduced in 1993). This one features a black-and-white photograph by William Speer of Elvis in 1955 and is part of the Music Icon series that began in 2013.More

March 2, 2014 20 Feet From Stardom, a film about backup singers featuring Darlene Love and Lisa Fischer, wins the Oscar for Best Documentary. Love gets a standing ovation when she sings part of her acceptance speech.

November 19, 2013 People magazine names Adam Levine "Sexiest Man Alive," making him the first musician to earn the title in the feature's 28-year history.

April 18, 2013 Public Enemy become the fourth hip-hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (the others that preceded PE into the Hall were Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Run-DMC, and the Beastie Boys). Other 2013 inductees are Rush, Heart (which reunites their original lineup), Albert King, Donna Summer, and Randy Newman.

October 16, 2012 Darius Rucker is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He's just the third African American to join the club, following cast member DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride, who was inducted in 1993.

April 14, 2012 Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses and Faces are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.More

August 28, 2011 Beyoncé reveals her pregnancy during the MTV Video Music Awards, setting Twitter on fire.More

July 29, 2011 Chuck Berry throws out the first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game on the same day his statue is unveiled on Delmar Boulevard in the city.

March 14, 2011 Long-neglected Neil Diamond is finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Leon Russell.

March 15, 2010 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2010 - ABBA, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, The Hollies, The Stooges - are inducted at the 25th Annual Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

January 31, 2010 Taylor Swift and Beyoncé sweep the Grammy Awards with record-breaking wins. Earning Album of the Year for Fearless at age 19, Swift is the youngest artist to ever win the award. Beyoncé wins six out of ten nominations - including Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) " - giving her the most wins in one night of any female artist.More

September 13, 2009 When Taylor Swift wins for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West comes on stage and commandeers the microphone, explaining that Beyoncé deserved the award for her "Single Ladies" video. When Beyoncé does win for Video of the Year later that night, she brings Taylor on stage to finish her speech.More

February 18, 2009 Duffy is the big winner at the Brit Awards, taking Album of the Year for Rockferry along with gongs for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act, beating out Adele in those two categories.More

January 11, 2009 Bruce Springsteen wins Best Song from a Motion Picture for "The Wrestler" at the Golden Globe Awards. Mickey Rourke wins for Best Actor in a Drama for his work on the film.

November 6, 2008 Thanks to internet voting, Rick Astley wins Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards. "We've been well and truly Rickrolled," the show's producer says.

April 7, 2008 Bob Dylan gets an honorary Pulitzer Prize for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture." He's the first rock musician to win the award.

August 23, 2007 Brian May of Queen gets a degree from London's Imperial College. It's not one of those honorary degrees either - he earned a PhD in astrophysics. He would have gotten it sooner, but he was busy being a rock star.More

May 23, 2007 The US Library of Congress hands out the first Gershwin Award to Paul Simon for being a "performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins."