Berklee College of Music will award honorary levels to Grammy-winning artists Jill Scott, Jacob Collier, and Vinnie Colaiuta throughout its 2026 commencement ceremony.
The trio of stars can be celebrated for his or her contributions to the music business at this yr’s festivities, slated for 10 a.m. on May 9 at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. There can even be a scholar live performance the night time earlier than, that includes a musical tribute to every of the honorees.
Scott, Collier, and Colaiuta aren’t the one celebrities coming to the Bay State this commencement season. Several different big names have been tapped for commencement festivities, together with Brookline native and former late-night host Conan O’Brien, who will ship Harvard’s commencement speech on May 28. Meanwhile, former Disney icon Hilary Duff will give Northeastern’s deal with at Fenway Park on April 29, whereas acclaimed actor Henry Winkler will ship the speech for Emerson’s commencement on May 9 at the Wang Theatre.
Scott is a three-time Grammy winner, writer, philanthropist, and podcast host. She launched her eleventh studio album, “To Whom This May Concern,” in February, which was her first in over a decade.
Collier is a seven-time Grammy winner and the primary British artist to win one Grammy for every of his first 5 studio albums. Collier’s genre-bridging model has attracted a number of high-profile collaborators through the years, together with Coldplay, SZA, and Shawn Mendes. Following Berklee’s commencement ceremony, Collier will return to Boston at the tip of May for a two-night stint at Boston Symphony Hall May 27-28.
Colaiuta, a Berklee graduate himself, is a world-renowned drummer and has obtained 18 drummer of the yr awards from Modern Drummer, with the journal calling him “the most important drummer of our time.” Colaiuta has labored carefully with artists throughout a number of genres, together with Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Chick Corea, and Chaka Khan.
Scott, Collier, and Colaiuta be part of a star-studded listing of Berklee honorary doctorate recipients, with earlier honorees together with music legends like Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Missy Elliott, and Gloria Estefan.
Gitana Savage will be reached at gitana.savage@globe.com. Follow her on X @gitana_savage.
