Iconic singer-songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy at the 2017 Special Merit Awards, Variety reports. American Gospel music singer Shirley Caesar is also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award recognizes those who have made a “significant impact in the recording industry.” Previous honorees include American singer-songwriter Ruth Brown, Cuban singer Celia Cruz, and American pop singer Linda Ronstadt.

Simone died in 2003. The Jazz legend recorded over 40 albums over five decades, with hits such as “Feeling Good” and “Sinnerman.” She was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2000.

Earlier this year, Zoe Saldana played Simone in “Nina,” a controversial biopic of the songstress directed by Cynthia Mort. Simone was the subject of Liz Garbus’ 2015 documentary, “What Happened, Miss Simone?” The doc received a 2016 Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

“Nina Simone was a musical genius who never fully got her due, with a little-understood path to fame and a personal life strained by the exigencies of extraordinary times and her own nascent mental illness,” Garbus told Women and Hollywood. “But the film is a celebration of her genius and tenacity, without apology. It is structured as a musical; every song is intrinsically intertwined with the narrative.”

“This year’s Special Merit Awards recipients comprise a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history,” said Neil Portnow, President and CEO of The Recording Academy. “These exceptionally inspiring figures are being honored as legendary performers, creative architects, and technical visionaries. Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their respective crafts have created a timeless legacy.”