Slash Receives 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award

Rock icon Slash received the 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award on Oct. 5, during a celebration at the Les Paul Recording Studio at Universal Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

Presented by the Les Paul Foundation in partnership with Gibson Gives, the philanthropic arm of Gibson, the private event brought together a room filled with music-industry luminaries, artists, media, friends, and special guests to honor Slash’s creative legacy, musicianship and enduring influence on generations of artists and fans.

The evening centered on the presentation of the Les Paul Spirit Award, recognizing Slash as an artist who embodies Les Paul’s pioneering spirit through innovation, creativity, technology and music. The celebration also included a reception and a tour of the historic recording studio, offering guests a closer look at the remarkable legacy of Les Paul and the continuing impact of his work on modern music and recording.

Slash and Les Paul shared a special friendship during Les Paul’s lifetime and often played music together.

“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,” Slash said. “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 honor.”

“We are honored 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,” said Michael Braunstein, executive director of the Les Paul Foundation. “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.”

The annual Les Paul Spirit Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the late Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and music. The physical award presented to Slash was created from actual hand-carved acoustic boards that Les Paul built and used in his home recording studio. Because each award is fashioned from authentic studio materials personally created by Les Paul, no two Les Paul Spirit Awards are exactly alike. {les-paul.com}