Chuck D to Receive Impact Music & Culture Award at 2023 NAMM Show

Chuck D, the leader and founder of Public Enemy, will receive NAMM’s inaugural Impact Music & Culture Award at the 2023 NAMM Show, which is being held April 13-15 in Anaheim, Calif.

The rapper will be on hand to accept the award, which will be presented at the TEC Experience on Thursday, April 13 from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. PT. The award will be presented by Brian Hardgroove, Public Enemy’s bassist and bandleader and founder of Resonant Alien.

“TEC honors the pioneers, the innovators, those who have moved us forward, and the products and technologies which have advanced music-making,” TEC committee member Tony Baraz said in a statement. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we recognize the impact that pioneers like Chuck D and others have had on music, music products, the music industry, and culture as a whole.”

Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2020.

NAMM’s Impact & Culture Award was conceived by Hardgroove as an opportunity to recognize individuals who move culture through the power of music.

The recognition comes as part of The NAMM Show’s Hip-Hop@50 celebration, a curated slate of sessions and events throughout the conference. Also planned is a music video montage of the history of hip-hop from music/video mashup creator, producer, and director Mike Relm and a performance by Resonant Alien, the new band featuring Hardgroove and DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy.

Additional Hip-Hop@50 events planned during the 2023 NAMM Show include a Friday, April 14 session from 5-8 p.m.: “Chuck D on Hip-Hop at 50, Hosted by Brian Hardgroove,” presented by Black to the Future and showcasing a historical look at the American music and cultural phenomenon.

On Saturday, April 15 from 3-5 p.m., the Yamaha Grand Plaza stage will come alive with the MIDI@40 celebration, showcasing a performance by Resonant Alien. The performance will recognize the impact that hip-hop and MIDI — as an underlying, enabling technology — have had in breaking down barriers. MIDI drum machines, sequencers, synths and turntables are at the heart of many of the iconic records that made hip-hop the cultural phenomenon that it is today. Learn more about MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 events here.

Additionally, awards will be given to TEC Experience finalists in 21 technical achievement and one studio design project categories. View the complete list of finalists here.

The NAMM TEC Experience is a communal reception that gathers the crossroads of the industry to applaud the achievements of the researchers and developers, product designers, marketers and innovators behind the innovations in pro audio.

The TEC Experience, MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 join the return of industry events, including the Parnelli Awards and the She Rocks Awards, as well as other event gatherings and networking opportunities, including the Top 100 Dealer, Pro Audio Pool Party, Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals receptions, and more. View the schedule here.

Registration for the 2023 NAMM Show is now open here.