Pop stars Sam Smith, Miley Cyrus, and Kesha are set to pay tribute to rock icon Elton John as part of a Grammy Salute TV special.
The Rocket Man hitmaker will be the focus of Elton John: I'm Still Standing - A Grammy Salute at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, R&B singer John Legend, and country stars Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and Maren Morris will hit the stage in his honor.
"Sir Elton John is an international music legend who has captivated audiences across generations for more than five decades," Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy, says in a statement. "His creativity, dynamic presence, and melodic virtuosity have positioned him as a cultural icon, and the Recording Academy is pleased to honor his immeasurable contributions to the music community."
Elton will also perform at the all-star gig, presented in partnership with officials at AEG Ehrlich Ventures and U.S. network CBS, which will be recorded on 30 January (18) - just two days after the 2018 Grammy Awards, which will also take place in the Big Apple.
"Elton's songs are such classics," AEG Ehrlich Ventures executive producer Ken Ehrlich tells Billboard.com. "They're beautifully written lyrically and melodically."
Details about specific covers have yet to be revealed, but many of the tracks were hand-picked by the singers themselves.
"In most cases, the songs being done have been chosen by the artist," Ehrlich explains. "We try to balance (the show) out and make sure it's representative of eras and tempo, but I've always believed that artists know themselves best and we should respect that."
Elton John: I'm Still Standing - A Grammy Salute will air in the U.S. at a later date.
Keith Urban, John Legend, and Little Big Town also feted the Bee Gees at this year's (17) Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees event, which also featured Celine Dion, DNCE, Nick Jonas, and Demi Lovato.
Previous Grammy Salute honorees include The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and Stevie Wonder.