New “Grammy Salute” Specials to Celebrate the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire and Cyndi Lauper

CBS and the Recording Academy will each present two-hour Grammy Salute specials honoring the music of Earth, Wind & Fire and Cyndi Lauper. Both concerts were filmed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and will air on CBS and be available to stream on Paramount+. Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy’s chief executive, is among the executive producers for both productions.

In a playful nod to one of their signature songs, the Earth, Wind & Fire tribute is scheduled for “the 21st night of September.” A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire — Live: The 21st Night of September will broadcast Sunday, September 21, 2025 (8–10 p.m. ET/PT). The program pairs the legendary group with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and features guest performances from Stevie Wonder, the Jonas Brothers, Jon Batiste and Janelle Monáe. Ben Winston, Patrick Menton and Harvey Mason Jr. serve as executive producers, with Fulwell Entertainment and Grammy Studios handling production. (Stevie Wonder was previously the focus of a 2015 Grammy Salute special.)

Two weeks later, A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live From The Hollywood Bowl will air Sunday, October 5, 2025 (8–10 p.m. ET/PT). The special celebrates Lauper’s songbook as she wraps her yearlong Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour. The lineup includes Joni Mitchell, Cher, Angélique Kidjo, John Legend, SZA, Mickey Guyton, Trombone Shorty and Jake Wesley Rogers, plus a video tribute from Brandi Carlile. Executive producers are Ken Ehrlich, Cyndi Lauper, Harvey Mason Jr., Brian Burke and Lisa Barbaris; the show is produced by Ken Ehrlich Productions in partnership with Grammy Studios.

Both Earth, Wind & Fire and Cyndi Lauper are multiple Grammy winners — the band has earned six Grammys, and Lauper has won two. In addition to the group’s six awards, Maurice White received a separate Grammy for his inventive arrangement of The Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life,” whose EWF rendition reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Maurice White passed away in February 2016 at age 74.

The two artists also boast recognition across institutions: Earth, Wind & Fire and Lauper have been inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lauper’s accolades extend to a Primetime Emmy and a Tony Award as well.

Source