Diana Ross, Gil Scott-Heron, Steve Jobs + More to Be Honored at Grammy Awards

Accomplished vocalist Diana Ross, spoken word innovator Gil Scott-Heron and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs are among the Special Merit Awards recipients for the 2012 Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy announced today.

Jobs is one of three Trustees Award winners, joining jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder and bandleader Dave Bartholomew. The Academy called Jobs a "creative visionary" who created "products and technology that transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies, and books," singling out the iTunes online store as one of the late Apple exec's lasting contributions.

Ross and Scott-Heron were selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, along with the Allman Brothers, Glen Campbell, George Jones, the Memphis Horns and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Ross, who rose to fame with the Supremes in the 1960s, has shockingly never won a Grammy Award, despite 12 nominations for hits like 'Upside Down' and 'Endless Love.' She has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and continues to tour. Scott-Heron died this summer at age 62 and was praised for being a pioneer of hip-hop music.

A ceremony for the Merit Award winners will be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, one night before the actual Grammy Awards take place.