From MSN Music:

NEW YORK -- Prince may be a man of many names, but the NAACP likes his image regardless. The "Purple Rain" singer will be honored with the 2005 NAACP Vanguard Award in a Los Angeles ceremony. The presentation will take place during the 36th Annual NAACP Image Awards on March 19, and broadcast on Fox television on March 25.

"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 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said in a recent statement. "His genre-bending songs sent shock waves through the music industry that still reverberate today."

Previously presented to only two others, the award is given to those who have worked to increase awareness of racial and social issues. Film director Steven Spielberg and movie producer Stanley Kramer are the award's previous honorees.



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