Audio Engineering Society Receives Technical Grammy Award Recognizing Outstanding Contributions to Recording

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) was presented with a prestigious Technical Grammy Award during Grammy Week 2023. Acting AES President Bruce Olson and AES President-Elect Leslie Gaston-Bird accepted the Special Merit Award on behalf of the Society during a ceremony held by the Recording Academy on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. 
  The Grammy Awards are presented every year by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. The prestigious awards , originally called the Gramophone Awards (the trophy is still a gramophone) also include the Technical Grammy Awards, which recognize contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field. First awarded in 1994, the Technical Grammys have recognized names such as Ray Dolby, Ikutaro Kakehashi, Dave Smith, Daniel Weiss, Rupert Neve, Les Paul, Phil Ramone, Dr. Robert Moog, Geoff Emerick, Tom Dowd, Bill Putnam, George Massenburg, Roger Linn, Leo Fender and Thomas Alva Edison. Companies honored include AKG, Apple, Digidesign, EMT, JBL Professional, Lexicon, Shure, Sony/Philips, Waves, and many more.

"The Audio Engineering Society is celebrating its 75th year at the heart of audio innovation," noted Bruce Olson in his acceptance comments. "From such milestones as the AES Convention introductions of the 45 rpm single, the Compact Disc, the MP3 format, and now streaming audio technology, AES brings together the leading minds in audio innovation and has guided the music industry with standards and best practices that continuously refine the state of the art of audio recording, playback, broadcast, and streaming. The AES is honored by this recognition of its ongoing contributions and on behalf of its more than 10,000 members worldwide, the Society proudly accepts this Technical Grammy Award and thanks the Recording Academy and its Producers & Engineers Wing."

AES President-Elect Leslie Gaston-Bird added to Olson’s comments, saying, "And our work is just beginning. We listen to our members and glean inspiration from women and underrepresented groups in audio who work tirelessly to create a more inclusive industry. We understand the power of networking, role models, and mentorship, and we’ll work within the industry to help create lasting, sustainable change. The next 75 years of the AES is already starting to look different from the first 75, and we are so excited about the future."

This Special Merit Award is presented by vote of the Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and ratification by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees to individuals and/or companies/organizations/institutions who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.  In addition to the Society’s Technical Grammy Award, current AES members on the Recording Academy’s 2023 Grammy Awards recipients list are mastering engineer Bob Ludwig for his contribution to the Best Historical Album winner, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) (Wilco); immersive mix engineer Eric Schilling and immersive producer Herbert Waltl for their roles on the Best Immersive Audio Album winner, Divine Tides (Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej); and engineers Shawn Murphy and Charlie Post and mastering engineer Michael Romanowski for their work on the Best Engineered Album Classical winner, Bates: Philharmonia Fantastique – The Making Of The Orchestra (Edwin Outwater & Chicago Symphony Orchestra).

The Society also acknowledges the many AES members who contributed to and were credited on Award-winning recordings in Grammy artist-focused nomination categories. Their contributions to the audio arts are appreciated by their fellow members and music lovers worldwide.
www.grammy.com/awards/technical-awards
www.aes.org