Whitney Houston, Cher, Paul Simon to get Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards

Whitney Houston, Cher, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan are among the music legends set to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Recording Academy.

The Recording Academy — which presents the Grammys — will recognize Cher, Paul, Chaka and Whitney, who died in 2012, during a Special Merit Awards ceremony on Jan. 31. Carlos Santana will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors recipients for their "creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording."

At the same ceremony, Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin will receive the Trustees Award from the Academy. This honor is given to people who "have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording."

All of the artists mentioned have won at least one Grammy, with the exception of Bernie. Despite co-writing countless hits with Elton over the years, he has never won a competitive Grammy. Bernie and Elton are nominated again this year for "Never Too Late," the song they co-wrote for Elton's documentary of the same name, giving him another chance at a win when the Grammys take place Feb. 1.