Rita Moreno, Milton Nascimento, More Among Recipients Of Berklee College Honorary Degrees

As if nabbing awards at all four major annual American entertainment awards ---an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony--- is not enough, Rita Moreno will now receive an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music. The Isley Brothers, Lucian Grainge, and Brazilian singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento, are also receiving the reputed title at an upcoming commencement.

This year's honorary doctorate recipients are being recognized for their achievements and influences in music, and for their enduring contributions to American and international culture. Berklee's President Roger H. Brown will present Moreno, Ernie Isley, Grainge, and Nascimento with their honorary doctor of music degrees at a ceremony taking place Saturday, May 7 at the 7,000-seat Agganis Arena at Boston University.

The Puerto Rican actress and singer is also this year's commencement speaker, who will address more than 900 Berklee graduates, their parents, and invited guests. As tradition holds, on commencement eve, Friday, May 6, Berklee students will pay tribute to the honorees by performing music associated with their careers at the Agganis. The concert and ceremony are not open to the public.

Rita has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: the Oscar, the Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy. Her credits span more than six decades, beginning with her Broadway debut at age 13. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004, and the National Medal of Arts in 2010. In January 2014, she received the Screen Actors Guild LifeAchievement Award. In December 2015, she received a Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture. She recently released her first Spanish language album, "Una Vez Mas," produced by Emilio Estefan. She is the voice of Abuelita in the animated series "Nina’s World," on NBC-TV’s Sprout Network, and is currently in production on the Latinore make of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom "One Day at a Time" for Netflix.

Milton Nascimento is one of Brazil’s most prominent and influential singer-songwriters with a trajectory of more than 40 years. Blending Brazilian bossa nova and folk with African, classical, jazz, and rockinfluences, Nascimento is renowned for his ethereal falsetto and tonal range, and for his acclaimed songs, including "Maria, Maria,” "Canção da América," "Bailes da Vida,” and his signature tune, “Travessia." Nascimento’s international breakthrough came with his appearance on Wayne Shorter's1974 jazz fusion masterpiece, "Native Dancer." This led to collaborations with Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Cat Stevens, Sarah Vaughan,Peter Gabriel, Pat Metheny, and Earth, Wind & Fire, among others. In 2012, Nascimento received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Isley Brothers have had four Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the Grammy-winning hit, “It’s Your Thing,” “That Lady,” and“Fight the Power." Thirteen of their albums have been either certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. The Isleys remain influential six decades into their career. In 2014, they received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award at a special ceremony at the 56th annual Grammy Awards. Current members Ronald and Ernie Isley continue to perform together.

Lucian Grainge CBE is chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. Over the course of his career, Grainge has signed and worked with the likes of ABBA, Elton John, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Queen, Rihanna, the Rolling Stones, Sam Smith, U2, and Amy Winehouse, among others. He has pioneered new approaches to the signing and development of recording artists and songwriters. In 2013, 2015, and 2016, he topped Billboard’s Power 100 as the most powerful executive in the music business, the only person to hold that distinction three times and for consecutive years. In 2014, he was awarded the President’s Merit Award by the Recording Academy, and in 2015, he received the Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope.

All four public figures join past recipients such as Aretha Franklin, Alejandro Sanz, Julio Iglesias, Willie Nelson, Paco de Lucia, Steven Tyler, and more.