Slash Receives 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award at Hollywood Ceremony

Slash was presented with the 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award on October 5 at The Les Paul Recording Studio at Universal Master Recordings in Hollywood, a recognition from the Les Paul Foundation in partnership with Gibson Gives.

As originally reported by Guitar World, the honor is given to an artist who reflects Les Paul’s pioneering spirit across innovation, creativity, technology, engineering, and music. Premier Guitar separately confirmed the same event, date, and setting in its own coverage published October 8.

According to those reports, the ceremony took place in an intimate setting attended by music-industry guests and media. The award is an annual legacy honor tied to the Les Paul Foundation rather than a competitive music prize.

Slash reflects on Les Paul’s influence

In remarks attributed by Guitar World, Slash said Les Paul was more than a celebrated guitarist and innovator, describing him as an inventor whose work changed both the instrument itself and the recording process. He also said he felt "incredibly lucky" to have known Les Paul personally, spent time with him, and played music with him, adding that receiving the award was a tremendous honor.

The connection carries extra weight given Slash’s long association with Les Paul guitars and his personal relationship with Les Paul during the late guitarist and inventor’s lifetime. That made the award not just a gear-world nod, but a formal tribute linking one of rock’s most identifiable Les Paul players to the namesake’s broader legacy.

Les Paul Foundation highlights creativity and curiosity

Guitar World reported that Michael Braunstein of the Les Paul Foundation said Slash represents the kind of creativity and curiosity the award is meant to recognize. Braunstein added that, if Les Paul were still alive, he believed the two would likely be jamming together.

The award’s stated focus goes beyond performance alone, recognizing artists whose work reflects the same boundary-pushing outlook associated with Les Paul’s contributions to guitar design, recording, and engineering. In that context, Slash’s selection ties his decades-long identification with the Les Paul model to a wider acknowledgment of influence and legacy.

The timing also marks this as a current 2026 honor rather than a retrospective announcement: the presentation took place October 5, with follow-up reporting appearing in the days after from Guitar World and Premier Guitar.

Enter the Jam's Take

There is also a simple fan-level appeal to this one: for listeners who feel Slash can sometimes be dismissed or reduced to old debates about reputation, this kind of recognition lands as a meaningful moment of appreciation for a player whose association with the Les Paul is part of modern guitar culture.