Slash receives the 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award for his “pioneering musicianship and enduring influence”
Slash has been honoured with the 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award for his “creative legacy, pioneering musicianship and enduring influence on generations of artists and fans”.
The legendary Guns N’ Roses guitarist received the award this October during an intimate and private event presented by the Les Paul Foundation in partnership with Gibson Gives, held at The Les Paul Recording Studio at Universal Master Recordings in Hollywood.
READ MORE: “It’s what we’ve been looking forward to for 21 hours of the day”: Slash on why Guns N’ Roses still love touring and have no plans to stop
The Les Paul Spirit Award is presented to an individual who “exemplifies the spirit of the late Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and music” each year.
The award, which is always made uniquely for the recipient, was created from hand-carved acoustic boards that Les Paul built and used in his home recording studio. Previous recipients include Bob Weir, Nile Rodgers, the Edge, Peter Frampton and Steve Miller.
Slash and Les Paul shared a special friendship during Les Paul’s lifetime and often played music together. Speaking of the award, Slash says, “Les was so much more than a great guitarist and innovator. He was an actual inventor who changed the instrument itself, built groundbreaking recording equipment and completely reimagined how artists could record music.
“I feel incredibly lucky that I got to know him, hang out with him and play music with him. I cherish the relationship we had, and receiving an award that carries his name and spirit is a tremendous honour.”
Credit: Les Paul Foundation
Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation, adds: “We are honoured to present the Les Paul Spirit Award to Slash this year. He and Les shared a special friendship and often jammed together when they could.
“Not only does Slash exemplify the creativity and curiosity Les had during his life, but he is also an extraordinary talent and a wonderful supporter of the Les Paul Foundation. If Les were still alive today, Slash and he would be jamming onstage together somewhere regularly.”
Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators are due to release a new album next year. You can check out the first single, Flying Blind, below:
Find out more about Slash ft Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, or pre-order their new album, via Slash’s official website.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
