Norah Jones to Receive Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award from Grammy Museum

The Grammy Museum will honor multi-Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and pianist Norah Jones with the Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award at the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum’s Grammy Hall Of Fame Gala on May 8, 2026, at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

Jones will take the stage for a special performance during the evening, which will also feature one-of-a-kind musical moments from a lineup of artists to be announced soon. Tables and seats are now available for purchase HERE.

The evening will also honor the 2026 Grammy Hall of Fame inducted recordings, which were announced in February. Warner Records will be recognized as the 2026 label honoree for its enduring contributions to recorded music and its role in championing artists across generations.

Inspired by the boundless genius of Ray Charles, the Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award recognizes an artist whose influence echoes across generations. The award celebrates artists who transcend genre, redefine creativity and leave an indelible mark on music and culture. 

With a career defined by timeless songwriting, unmistakable musicianship and a singular voice that has resonated across jazz, pop, soul, and country, Jones has built a body of work that is both intimate and influential. Her artistry has shaped the sound of modern music for more than two decades, making her a fitting recipient of an honor that celebrates enduring creative impact.

“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."

Returning as host is esteemed journalist Anthony Mason. The show will be produced by former Grammy Awards Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich, alongside Ron Basile, Chantel Sausedo, Lindsay Saunders Carl, and Lynne Sheridan, with musical direction by Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning composer, producer and conductor Cheche Alara.

The 2026 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted recordings include 14 titles that span nearly a century of recorded music and range from 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me to Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 to Radiohead’s OK Computer. Others include recordings by Alice Coltrane, Bertha “Chippie” Hill, Ella Jenkins, Eric B. & Rakim, Funkadelic, Heart, Lucinda Williams, Nick Drake, The Rouse Brothers, Selena, and The Soul Stirrers. The full list of past inducted recordings can be seen here.

About Norah Jones 

Norah Jones first emerged on the world stage with the 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described “moody little record” that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.

Since then, Jones has become a ten-time Grammy-winner, sold more than 52 million albums, and her songs have been streamed ten billion times worldwide. She has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums—Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), The Fall (2009), Little Broken Hearts (2012), Day Breaks (2016), Pick Me Up Off The Floor (2020), the live album ‘Til We Meet Again (2021), her holiday album I Dream Of Christmas (2021), and the Grammy Award-winning Visions (2024)—as well as albums with her collective bands The Little Willies, El Madmo, and Puss N Boots featuring Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. 

Jones is currently working on a new musical based on the best-selling novel by Alice Hoffman and the cult-classic Warner Bros. Motion Picture, Practical Magic. She is writing the original score with Gregg Wattenberg for the show, which features a book by the New York Times Bestselling Author Alice Hoffman and Peter Duchan, and direction by Maria Friedman.