Grammy Museum Hall of Fame just recently started awarding musicians with the Recording Academy’s Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award, and has just selected singer-songwriter Norah Jones as its second recipient.
The Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award will be shared with Jones as part of the programming for the Grammy Museum’s Hall of Fame Gala, staging at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton on May 8, 2026.
Honoring Charles’ indelible legacy as a performer, pianist, and cultural force and the artists achieving a parallel impact on the music industry today, the Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award will be presented at the Grammy Museum’s Hall of Fame Gala alongside the 52nd class of recordings inducted into the venerable institution.
“I’m so honored to receive the Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award,” said Jones. “Ray Charles was my musical hero, and he changed the way so many of us hear and feel music. To be recognized in connection with his legacy, and as part of a night that also celebrates such important recorded works, is special for me.”
Jones’ recognition follows Jon Batiste’s selection as the award’s inaugural recipient at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Like the icon for whom the prize is named, Jones has earned esteem as a vocalist, pianist, songwriter and producer and champion of new generations of artists through decades of recordings across a vast spectrum of genres and styles.
