LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ NAACP Image Awards) - Legendary artist, songwriter, musician and producer
Stevie Wonder will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, it was announced today by NAACP Image Awards Executive Producer, Vicangelo Bulluck. The prestigious Hall of Fame Award will be presented during "The 39TH NAACP Image Awards" in Los Angeles. The awards ceremony will air live on Thursday, February 14 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on FOX.
Image Awards Chairperson Clayola Brown said, "Stevie Wonder is an amazing performer whose extraordinary music and positive attitude has been embraced by people of all races and cultures. One of the most successful and well respected entertainers in the world, we are delighted that he will be present to accept this honor."
Dennis Hayes, interim president and CEO of the NAACP noted, "Mr. Wonder is a true entertainer and role model in the entertainment world and beyond. His music has attracted wide audience appeal and has influenced generations and we are proud to bestow this honor on him."
The Hall of Fame Award is bestowed on an individual who is a pioneer in his or her respective field and whose influence will shape the profession for generations to come. This individual is recognized for his or her impact nationally and internationally and for a career which exemplifies high artistic achievement, professionalism and public service.
Over the course of his career, Stevie has been honored with 25 Grammy Awards and the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been making music and enriching lives for more than four decades, demonstrating extraordinary humanitarian efforts, philanthropic leadership and generosity of spirit throughout his career.
From "Little Stevie Wonder" to adult superstar, Stevie is beloved for his monumental talent, his compassion for humanity and his desire to challenge injustice. In 1983 Stevie spearheaded the realization of "Martin Luther King Day" as a national holiday. His participation in the 1985 "We Are The World" fund-raiser for hunger in Africa was a music industry milestone, while his involvement to put an end to apartheid in South Africa is legendary.
Stevie Wonder has also been recognized for his philanthropic contributions by receiving the "Distinguished Services Award" from the President's Committee on Employment of Handicapped People, the "Carousel of Hope Award" from the Children's Diabetes Foundation, and an "Honorary Global Founder's Award" from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Wonder received a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in 1984 for "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from the movie, "The Woman In Red," and was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
In 1999 Stevie was named NARAS Musicares "Person of the Year." He ended the millennium as the youngest honoree of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors and in September 2001 participated in the groundbreaking international multi-network charity special to raise funds for those affected by the September 11th devastation in New York City's World Trade Center complex. In 2002, he was the inductee at BET's 8th Annual Walk of Fame and in 2004 was awarded Billboard Magazine's prestigious Century Award. To date, he has amassed an astounding 49 Top 40 singles, 32 No 1 singles and worldwide sales of over 100 million units.
