Samoan-born musician Fa’anana Jerome Grey, who is known for popular hits such as “We Are Samoa”, has been named the recipient of the ‘Polynesia’s Artist of the Decade' award.

The award was presented by the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma, Washington, as one of the highlights of Samoan Cultural Week, which lasted from July 25 to July 31 according to a statement.

The award recognised Grey’s outstanding contribution to the Polynesian music industry over the years with his musical journey spanning over four decades.

During this time he composed beautiful melodies that highlighted the beauty of Polynesia, such as “Polynesia is Home" while also using his music to tackle political and social issues in his homeland.

His unique musical style has made a significant impression on the international music scene, for example in 1980 when he performed one of his hit songs for President Jimmy Carter and the U.S. Congress.

Many Samoans have saluted Grey for his musical contributions, including former American football player Jesse Sapolu, says the statement. 

Sapolu, who played for the San Francisco 49ers his entire pro-football career, congratulated him on his many accolades.

Grey, who is one of the pioneers of Samoan music, will be celebrating his 75th birthday next year. 

He currently resides in California in the U.S. and will mark his birthday celebration with a concert that will feature many other Polynesian artists. The date for the event will be announced in the near future.

According to the statement, Grey and his team also have plans to release an autobiography in the form of a book and movie documentary, detailing the life of this great musical hero.

Another project being worked on by Grey is a musical featuring his real-life stories. The musical will be titled “We Are Samoa” after his legendary hit, which eventually became an unofficial anthem for Samoans all over the world.

Last year a new video rallying Polynesian-Americans to be counted in a forthcoming national census, featuring legendary Samoan singer Jerome Grey singing "We are Samoa" went viral across the U.S.

The video is entitled "This is me 2020" features a range of Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian artists in an attempt to encourage them to participate in this year's national census.

The video features Polynesian Americans from around the country singing in landmarks as diverse as national parks and New York City's iconic Grand Central Station. 

Grey's rendition of "We are Samoa" - a song often described as the country's unofficial national anthem - was recorded jointly alongside his eldest son, Tinifu Loa Grey in Los Angeles, California. 

Born in Apia to a carpenter father and a family of 20 siblings, Grey has been described as the patriarch of modern Samoan music.

"The message behind the song was extremely important and it fit nicely with what we were trying to do with our video," partner and producer Dawn Kaniaupio told local news outlet Hawaii News Now.