The yearlong celebration of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards [ tickets ] starts today (5/8).

The Recording Academy, which is responsible for the Grammys, announced plans for a slate of activities to mark the milestone, including a Grammy museum, a coffee-table book and a Grammy-brand fashion line.

During a Los Angeles press conference today, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow was joined by a host of music-industry types, including 27-time Grammy winner Quincy Jones [ tickets ] and young Grammy-winning soul singer Joss Stone [ tickets ]. They unveiled the official artwork for the momentous occasion, and laid out the celebration plans.

"For some it's a milestone--but we're just getting started," Portnow said in a statement. "Over the past 50 years, the Grammy Awards has become the world's most famous music telecast and the highest honor bestowed upon music makers. The Grammy Awards continue to push the envelope for never-before-seen live musical performances from new and established artists across all genres while the Recording Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture."

As part of the celebration, the Recording Academy has named Jones as its official ambassador. A member of the Academy for more than 40 years and a member of the Grammy Foundation's Board of Directors since 1992, the music impresario will participate in various cultural and educational events over the next year and a half, according to a press release.

"I am so proud to be one of the founding members of this organization that now represents 18,000 music makers," Jones said in a statement. "I am honored to be an ambassador as the Recording Academy celebrates its influential 50-year history with a celebration of events and activities for music fans and music makers, all while keeping the importance of music education and preservation at the forefront of its efforts."

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 10, 2008 at Los Angeles' Staples Center. It will be broadcast in high-definition surround-sound on the CBS network. Nominations will be announced Dec. 6, 2007.

The Grammy Museum--a 30,000-square-foot facility--will be housed in the L.A. Live entertainment complex across the street from the Staples Center. It is scheduled to open in September 2008.

The coffee-table book, featuring photos from past Grammy shows and memorable Grammy moments, will be sold exclusively through Borders Books beginning in October.

The Grammy brand fashion line for men and women aims to celebrate the intersection between music and fashion, according to a press release. The high-end collection will be available at select boutiques this fall and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares, which aims to ensure that music-industry folks have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

Other events include the July 28 presentation of the Grammy Foundation's Leadership Award to Jones and MusiCares' honoring of Aretha Franklin [ tickets ] in February as its 2008 Person of the Year.