Beloved New Orleans drummer Johnny Vidacovich will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement in Music Award at the 2016 Best of the Beat Music Awards.

Vidacovich is a pillar of the New Orleans music community and a veritable icon of contemporary jazz. With a five decade career that includes the co-founding of Astral Project, work with greats like Professor Longhair, James Booker, Al Hirt, Mose Allison and George Porter Jr. (just to name a few), a faculty position at the Loyola School of Music, and countless other projects, he is as worthy an honoree as anyone. We could not be more delighted to celebrate his achievements.

The OffBeat Music & Cultural Arts Foundation’s annual party and awards ceremony will return to Generations Hall in New Orleans on Thursday, January 19. Naughty Professor, Khris Royal & Dark Matter, Mia Borders, Soul Brass Band, The Fortifiers, Valerie Sassyfras and a very special Tribute to Johnny Vidacovich will perform at the gathering, which will once again celebrate the region’s music community.

As usual, the party will also feature foods from a variety of local restaurants, with all dishes included in the price of admission.

The Best of the Beat Music Awards will be preceded by the invitation-only Best of the Beat Business Awards at the Orpheum Theater on Wednesday, January 11. That ceremony will honor Vidacovich, as well as the winners of the other 2016 Lifetime Achievements Awards. Those recipients include Director of Tulane University’s Special Collections and curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive, Bruce Raeburn (Lifetime Achievement in Education), longtime Director of Tours and Talent for the House of Blues New Orleans and original Tipitina’s talent buyer, Sonny Schneidau (Lifetime Achievement in Business), songwriter, banjoist and guitarist Detroit Brooks (Positive Vibrations HeartBeat Award, Musician) and local icon and Heal 2 Toe founder Darryl “DancingMan 504” Young (Positive Vibrations HeartBeat Award, Culture Bearer).

Nominees for the Best of the Beat Music Awards will be revealed in December, and voting will be open to the public as soon as they are announced.

Tickets for the 2016 Best of the Beat Awards are now on sale.