Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been a consistent music industry mogul, successful business entrepreneur and endorser of positivity and encouragement to his community through his social media platforms. His accomplishments and hard work will be honored at a pre-Grammy awards gala next year. The three time Grammy winner will be the honoree of the 2020 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons. Comb’s, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, will be recognized for his 25-year career accomplishments and musical influence.
President and CEO of the Recording Academy, Deborah Dugan said of Combs, “By bringing the music and lifestyle of east coast hip-hop to the masses, he was an early reminder of music’s unifying ability to flip our perceptions and broaden our connections to all corners of the world. Over the years, Diddy has persistently empowered other music creators and we’re honored to celebrate his culture-shaping impact at this year’s pre-GRAMMY Gala.” Combs spent his earliest days working as an intern for Uptown records under music industry giant Andre Harrell. Later, Combs created his own label, Bad Boy Records, which catapulted the careers of many including R&B superstar Faith Evans, rapper Lil Kim, and his best friend the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. Combs eventually branched out into the fashion retail industry with his original men’s clothing line Sean John. He is an equal share partner of Ciroc Vodka and launched the cable TV network Revolt TV in 2013. In addition to his business saavy and philanthropy, Sean Combs is a dedicated and loving father to his children.
The announcement came on Wednesday morning December 18th and Diddy retweeted the Recording Academy’s announcement on his page. “It’s personally so gratifying that Sean “Puffy” Combs is this year’s icon. He fully deserves this wonderful recognition,” said Clive Davis. Previous honorees include Antonio “L.A. Reid”, Heb Alpert and Berry Gordy. The annual Clive Davis pre-GRAMMY Gala will take place on January 25th on the eve of the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards.
