Patti LaBelle, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff will share a prize named for a pioneering opera singer.
The Marian Anderson Award is given in Philadelphia to "critically acclaimed artists who have impacted society in a positive way." Anderson was the first black singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.
Mayor Jim Kenney announced the 2016 honorees Tuesday.
Producers Gamble and Huff are credited with creating the lush acoustics of 1960s and '70s soul music that came to be known as the Sound of Philadelphia, working with artists such as LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and Lou Rawls.
This year's honorees represent a first-time focus on Philadelphia's contribution to popular music.
Previous winners include Jazz great Wynton Marsalis and rocker Jon Bon Jovi.
An awards gala is set for Nov. 15.
