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Prince, the anti-race champion
AP
New York, February 23

The Purple Rain singer sometimes known as Prince will be honoured with the 2005 Vanguard Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People in a Los Angeles ceremony.

The presentation will take place during the 36th annual NAACP Image Awards ceremony on March 19 this year.

“During the ‘80s, Prince emerged as the musical prophet of the era, releasing a series of albums that both define and captured the spirit of the times,” the NAACP said in a statement.

“His genre-bending songs sent shock waves through the music industry that still reverberate today.”

The Vanguard Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People is given to those who have worked to increase understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. The previous honourees are film director Steven Spielberg and movie producer Stanley Kramer.

Earlier this month, Prince won two Grammy Awards — for best male R&B vocal performance for Call My Name, a single from his most recent album, “Musicology,” and best traditional R&B vocal performance also for his “Musicology.”