Sir George Martin, the man many consider the force behind The Beatles, was the center of an all-star tribute this weekend.

He was the recipient of the Grammy Foundation Leadership Award – which recognizes humanitarian and charitable efforts – at a red-carpet gala that featured musical tributes from the likes of Jeff Beck, Tom Jones, and others. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison were also on hand, representing their late husbands John Lennon and George Harrison.

Martin was already an established producer of jazz and other genres when he signed The Beatles in 1962. He was the visionary who helped mold them and make them one of the biggest musical acts the world had ever seen, producing almost every single recording the band ever did. In fact, he collaborated and orchestrated a large number of early Beatles tracks, up until The White Album.

Aside from the two Beatles widows, the evening was also host to performances by Burt Bacharach, pianist Dave Grusin, singer Michael McDonald, and the band America. ”Awards don’t come much better than this,” he said. “I’ve been so lucky to work with so many wonderful people, and great talent all my life…I miss so many people who have died on me,” referring to John Lennon and George Harrison.

Martin, who was knighted in 1996, was named The Most Successful Producer in the World by The Guinness Book of World Records, with over 50 #1 hits in the US and Britain. He’s also behind the 2006 Cirque Du Soleil Las Vegas  show Love, which he co-produced with his son Giles. His most recent project is a PBS series set to air in 2010 called On Record: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives.