Nina Simone and Shirley Ceasar to Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards

Black women are being celebrated in a big way at this year's Grammys. Beyoncé and Rihanna are among the most nominated artists at next year's ceremony, and two Black women musical pioneers will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

According to The Recording Academy, the honor "celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording."

Simone was a classically-trained singer and pianist who died in 2003. She became famous in the 1950s and is known for classic songs including "Feeling Good" and "I Put a Spell on You."
Her haunting interpretation of Strange Fruit, a 1937 poem about the lynching of African Americans in the Southern United States, became an anthem for the civil rights movement.

Pastor Shirley Caesar is a pioneer in the male-dominated gospel music world. She's recorded 40 albums and won 11 Grammy awards.  Caesar saw a renewed interest in her work after the rise of the U Name It Challenge.

The women will get their recognitions in the week leading up to the Grammy telecast in February.