LOS ANGELES, USA (AFP) — Pop icon Michael Jackson and Canadian singer Leonard Cohen will headline a group of talent receiving lifetime achievement awards at the Grammys in January, organisers announced last Thursday.

The late King of Pop, a 13-time Grammy winner, and singer-songwriter Bobby Darin will be receiving the prestigious prize posthumously during a Los Angeles gala on January 30, on the eve of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Other awardees include classical pianist Andre Previn, country legend Loretta Lynn, jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and blues musician David (Honeyboy) Edwards.

“This year’s honorees are a prestigious group of diverse and prominent creators who have contributed some of the most distinguished and influential recordings,” Recording Academy president and chief executive Neil Portnow said in a statement.

“Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy that has positively affected multiple generations, and will continue to influence generations to come.”

Montreal-born Cohen, 75, will receive the Grammy nod in honour of a career spanning four decades during which he recorded 18 albums, including collaborations with Elton John, Neil Diamond, Iggy Pop and Willie Nelson. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.

The oldest of the Delta Blues musicians, 94-year-old Edwards will be recognised for the blues hits he wrote, including Long Tall Woman Blues, Sweet Home Chicago and Just Like Jesse James.

Three-time Grammy winner Lynn, who has had over 70 hits including Coal Miner’s Daughter, has been in the business for nearly 50 years.

Previn, also a conductor and composer, has won 10 Grammys for his work with some of the world’s most recognised orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. He also composed the operas A Streetcar Named Desire and Brief Encounter.