About The Grammy Organization

Harvey Mason jr. serves as CEO of the Recording Academy®. He was originally named Interim President/CEO in January 2020 while serving as Chair of the Academy's Board of Trustees, and after a global search, was named permanent CEO in June 2021.

While serving in both positions, Mason has led a transformation of the Academy that has diversified its membership; revised rules and processes to make the GRAMMY Awards® more transparent, inclusive and reflective of a wide variety of musical genres; enlarged its role as a service organization for music creators — particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic — and restructured the organization to position it for global growth and diversification. Mason is also the first Black CEO in the Academy's history.

As CEO, Mason works closely with the Academy's Board of Trustees and senior management team to advance the Academy's goals and mission. He also serves as CEO of MusiCares® and is on the boards of the GRAMMY Museum®, Latin Recording Academy® and Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®.

Under his tenure as Interim President/CEO, in addition to the accomplishments noted above, the Academy launched a new Songwriters & Composers Wing and the Black Music Collective; hired its first-ever Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer; advocated effectively for music creators in Washington, D.C., for pandemic relief; and helped MusiCares COVID-19 Relief raise and distribute more than $24 million to music creators through the crisis.

Mason served as Chair on the Board of Trustees from June 2019 to May 2021. During that time, he chaired the Executive Committee, and was a member of each Standing Committee and, in an ex officio capacity, on every other committee established by the Board. He represented the Academy in all Academy business, events and functions.

Mason is also the founder of Harvey Mason Media and an accomplished songwriter and producer. He penned and produced songs for industry legends and today's biggest superstars. Everyone from Whitney Houston to Beyoncé, Elton John to Justin Timberlake, Aretha Franklin to Ariana Grande, Britney Spears to Camila Cabello, Luther Vandross to Justin Bieber, and Michael Jackson to Chris Brown have called on Mason to deliver uniquely musical, yet radio-friendly, hit records. Simultaneously, Mason has been instrumental in producing memorable music for many of the biggest musical films and TV events from the past decade. His work in films includes Dreamgirls, the Pitch Perfect franchise, Shrek, SING, SING 2, Sparkle, and Straight Outta Compton. TV shows including "The Wiz Live!" and "Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert" also counted on Mason's musical talent and taste. Recently, Harvey Mason Media produced the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson for MGM.

In 2012, Mason received the Spirit of Excellence Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation for his philanthropic efforts. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the University of Arizona, where he was a standout basketball player on a team that went to the Final Four, and is on the board of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission. Mason also donates his time and resources to several charitable organizations, including Ronald McDonald House, the American Cancer Society and Los Angeles Children's Hospital.

Panos A. Panay serves as President for the Recording Academy®. In his role, Panay drives business growth across the entire organization to further expand the service offerings for Academy members and the industry. With a focus on identifying new partnerships, global expansion and leveraging new technologies, he drives strategic advancement for the Academy’s objectives and fosters a culture of innovation.

Prior to joining the Recording Academy, Panay served as the senior vice president for Global Strategy and Innovation at Berklee College of Music and is a fellow at MIT Connection Science. At Berklee, he led the development and execution of the college's overarching strategic plan; founded the Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship; oversaw its campuses in New York City, Valencia (Spain) and Abu Dhabi, as well as the Music + Health and India Exchange Institutes; and steered new partnerships, program development and the incorporation of new technologies. He also led Berklee's expansion to China and the K-12 sector. Prior to Berklee, Panay was founder and CEO of Sonicbids, the leading platform for emerging artists to connect with music promoters, resulting in over 1 million gigs booked in over 80 countries around the world. He led the company for 13 years until after its successful acquisition in 2013. He started his career as a talent agent and vice president at The Kurland Agency, booking the international tours for GRAMMY®-winning artists such as Pat Metheny, Chick Corea and Branford Marsalis.

Panay has been recognized in Fast Company's Fast 50, Inc Magazine's Inc 500, Mass Hi-Tech All Stars, and Boston Globe's Game Changers. For his work with Sonicbids, Panay was also profiled in the book Outsmart by best-selling author Jim Champy and spoke at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland as part of his work with Open Music. He has been a guest on programs such as CNBC's "Squawk Box" and a guest writer about entrepreneurship for Forbes, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, and Inc Magazine, among others. He is a public speaker at many universities and events around the world. His first book Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation, co-authored with R. Michael Hendrix of IDEO, was released in April 2021 and was named as a business book of the month by the Financial Times.

Panay holds a music business & management degree from Berklee College of Music and studied for an EMBA at Brown University/ IE Business School.

Branden Chapman, Chief Global Entertainment Officer+
Joanna Chu, Vice President of Awards+

Branden Chapman serves as Chief Global Entertainment Officer for the Recording Academy®. He is responsible for leading the Entertainment & Consumer Division and GRAMMY Studios, which include Artist Relations, Digital Media Productions, Global Partnerships & Business Development, and Production & Event Operations. In his role, Chapman oversees the slate of telecast specials, digital series and content while focusing on strategic growth of the Academy's entertainment offerings. In collaboration with the CEO, he is responsible for revenue growth, expense management and the execution of the Entertainment and Consumer business unit’s operating plan and long-term strategies that support the Recording Academy’s mission and vision. Chapman previously served as Executive in Charge of Production, where he oversaw the telecast logistics, including revenue and cost management, timeline scheduling, creative development, ticketing, credentialing, venue relations, security, and municipal relations. During his tenure, he conceived and launched events featuring Whitney Houston, JAY-Z, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Beyonce and Billy Joel, among others. Chapman also served as Chief Business Development Officer, where he was responsible for many of the Academy's business development initiatives, including the international sales of the telecast properties and brand expansion efforts. He was appointed as the Academy representative to manage the early development of the GRAMMY Museum®, which opened in 2008. Prior to joining the organization, Chapman had more than seven years of experience in television, event production and management consulting. He currently serves on the board of directors of the GRAMMY Museum, the SAG AFTRA Foundation and the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a dual-emphasis business degree in Entrepreneurship and Marketing.

Joanna Chu serves as Vice President of Awards for the Recording Academy®. In her role, Chu leads the Awards team through all aspects of the Awards season and reports to the Chief Awards & Industry Officer, reinforcing key Academy initiatives throughout the Awards process, with a special emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

She previously held Director and Managing Director roles in Awards, where she was responsible for overseeing the departmental staff and upholding the integrity of the awards process. Using her technical background and professional management experience, Chu's efforts resulted in a number of musical talent recognitions and music career achievements.

Prior to joining the organization, Chu worked in Silicon Valley as one of the few female software engineers in the aerospace industry for 15 years prior to a career shift to the music industry.

Chu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering/computer science from the University Of Santa Clara.

Photo credit: https://stanleywuphotography.com

Ankit Dhir serves as Chief Strategy Officer for the Recording Academy®, partnering closely with the CEO and executive team to shape the Academy’s long-term strategic direction. In this role, he focuses on developing multi-year strategy, identifying and assessing growth opportunities, and elevating the operating model by ensuring teams have the structure, resources, and actionable insights to execute.

Previously, Ankit co-founded Yellowbrick, where he served as COO and CRO. Yellowbrick is an education technology company that helps creative professionals advance their careers through educational experiences built in partnership with top universities, iconic brands, and working industry experts. Yellowbrick's partners include NYU, Parsons, FIT, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Backstage, and others. Yellowbrick was recognized by TIME on its World’s Top EdTech Companies list as the top-ranked company in North America and sixth globally.

Earlier in his career, Ankit invested in the technology and education sectors, worked in music publishing at SONGS Music Publishing, and began his career in restructuring investment banking at Houlihan Lokey.

He holds degrees in Economics and Political Science from the Wharton School and the College of Arts & Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania.

Maureen Droney serves as Vice President of the Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® (P&E Wing), which advises the Academy on technical matters related to recording. The P&E Wing comprises an international network focused on sound quality, development of new technologies, technical best practices, education in the recording arts, and advocacy for the rights of all music creators.

Droney joined the Academy in 2005 as Executive Director of the P&E Wing in the Membership & Industry Relations Department. Within Membership, she has spearheaded numerous educational events and series across genres, genders and regions such as Songs That Changed My Life, The Art of the Craft, From Mic to Mix, and Keeping The Music Playing. She established the Producers & Engineers Wing GRAMMY® Week Celebration including past honorees such as Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys, Nile Rodgers, Neil Young, and Jack White. Droney also co-created with the Latin Recording Academy® to launch En La Mezcla, the Latin GRAMMY Week signature event which honors its Circulo de Productores y Ingenieros, a sister network to the P&E Wing. As part of the Wing’s advocacy efforts, she has been active in Washington, D.C., including organizing a special event to lobby Members of Congress for all music creators — but particularly studio practitioners — by constructing a recording studio from scratch in the Capitol’s Cannon House Office Building for a session with Kelly Clarkson and Barack Obama that demonstrated what producers and engineers do.

Prior to her role at the Recording Academy, Droney was a recording engineer on GRAMMY-winning albums for artists such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Santana — as well as numerous other projects, including two Billboard No. 1 Dance hits. In addition, she has worked in both artist and studio management, was the longtime Los Angeles editor for Mix magazine, and has published three books related to recording. Her most recent, co-written with its subject, is Al Schmitt on the Record: The Magic Behind the Music, chronicling the life and career of the most awarded recording engineer in history.

Droney currently serves on the Boards of California State University Entertainment Alliance, National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) and the Entertainment Industry Professionals Mentoring Alliance (EIPMA).

She holds a bachelor's degree in broadcast communication arts from California State University, San Francisco and has taught seminars on the theory and practice of recording for companies including ABC and CBS Television.

Todd Dupler serves as Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer for the Recording Academy® where he oversees the Advocacy division focused on championing creators’ rights and elevating important policy issues that stand to affect the music community. He’s also responsible for orchestrating cross-departmental efforts to advance the overall advocacy goals of the Recording Academy and coordinating state and local advocacy with the Academy’s 12 regional Chapters.

Dupler previously served as the VP of Advocacy & Public Policy and Acting Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer for the Recording Academy since December 2021, leading the Academy’s team in Washington, D.C., and coordinating all the Academy’s advocacy and government affairs efforts. Dupler was instrumental in expanding the Academy’s state and local advocacy work, resulting in new pro-music laws in multiple states, including California’s landmark Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act. He also relaunched and reinvigorated the Academy’s signature advocacy programs, GRAMMYs on the Hill and District Advocate. Under his leadership, these initiatives supported the passage of the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which was signed into law at the end of 2022. Joining the Academy in 2012, Dupler has helped secure legislative achievements such as the Music Modernization Act and the Better Online Tickets Sales Act, and launched the GRAMMY® Fund for Music Creators, the Academy’s political action committee.

Dupler has over 25 years of experience in Washington, D.C., and extensive knowledge of Capitol Hill and the legislative process. Prior to joining the Academy, he served on the legislative staffs of two members of Congress and a United States senator, including serving as the legislative director to the chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. In this role, Dupler helped facilitate negotiations to reform copyright law, and was a liaison to stakeholders in the creative industries. In addition, he was also a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Labor and has experience in state government.

Dupler is a member of the State Bar of Texas and serves on the board of the Copyright Alliance. He also previously served on the board of the Texas State Society of Washington, D.C.

He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and bachelor of arts degree in history and political science from Baylor University.

Photo credit: Paul Morigi by Getty Images © 2022

Andie Cox Gibson serves as the Senior Vice President of Communications for the Recording Academy®. In her role, she directly supports the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer in the creation of the overall communications strategy for the Recording Academy and implementing and executing communications plans and promotions for the GRAMMY Awards® and all GRAMMY® Week initiatives. She also leads public relations efforts for the Recording Academy's 12 Chapters nationwide — ensuring the Academy brand is authentically represented throughout various Chapter events and programs — and spearheads the communication strategies for the Academy's Advocacy Department, Awards Process and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives.

Gibson joined the Academy in 2014 as Senior Manager in the Marketing Communications department and was later promoted to Director. She most recently served as Managing Director of Communications, where she led numerous communications campaigns, including the membership model refresh in 2018, the Academy's first-ever Black Music Collective, and its partnership with Color Of Change. Gibson also led a communications effort for MusiCares® that established COVID-19 Relief in support of music industry professionals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the Academy, Gibson held roles at the GRAMMY Museum®, where she served as Communications Coordinator and Communications Manager. She also held roles at Victory Records, Bonneau Production Services and Ragan Communications.

In 2020, Gibson received the PR Week Purpose Award for her work supporting the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief campaign. She was also recognized on PR Week's 2021 Top 40 Under 40 list for her impactful contributions to the public relations industry. She is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America.

Gibson holds a Bachelor's Degree of Science in public relations and sociology from Ball State University.

Photo credit: Ashley Luthman

Shonda Grant serves as Chief People & Culture Officer for the Recording Academy®, where she leads all HR-related activities across the Recording Academy, the Latin Recording Academy®, MusiCares®, the GRAMMY Museum®, and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. Her portfolio spans the full employee experience — from talent acquisition, compensation, and benefits to training and development, employee relations, legal compliance, health and wellness, and policy development.

A strategic partner and executive coach to senior leadership, department heads, Chapter executives, and elected leaders, Grant and her team are the steady presence behind the programs and initiatives that make the GRAMMY organization a place people genuinely want to be. She is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of the organization’s staff, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and championing a culture of work/life balance and holistic wellness.

Her impact speaks for itself. Under her leadership, the Academy earned its first-ever Great Place to Work certification and a spot on the 2026 Billboard Women in Music Best Places to Work list. In 2025, she was recognized by Tycoon Magazine in their Women's Month "Breaking the Glass Ceiling" edition as a trailblazing leader breaking barriers and building better workplaces. Grant leads with care, intention, and an unwavering belief that people are an organization's greatest asset.

Prior to joining the Academy, she held human resources leadership roles in the technology and telecommunications industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and the SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional) certification.

David Gregory serves as the Chief Information Officer for the Recording Academy®. In his role, he leads the information technology team responsible for the overall technology infrastructure at the Academy and its awards shows, including network and systems technology, distribution and support of mobile devices, and training. He is responsible for driving operational technology and processes for IT, ERP, CRM, data security, governance, risk, and compliance while using technology to generate value, maintain security and increase productivity. Gregory also oversees the applications that manage membership and the voting process for the GRAMMY Awards® and supports the organization in achieving its diverse business objectives.

Before joining the Academy, Gregory served as vice president of technology resources at Berklee College of Music for six years, where he led the implementation of major enterprise cloud applications including Salesforce and Workday, and taught advanced music theory and composition for Berklee Online. He also held roles as vice president of technology at Smith College and chief information officer at Colgate University.

From 1994 to 2002, Gregory was the founder and chief creative officer for Media Station, a digital media company that developed interactive products for companies such as Disney, Hasbro and Mattel, where he designed the games and produced music for The Lion King's animated story book games.

Gregory holds a bachelor's and master's degree of music in composition from the University of Michigan and a certificate in music for film and television from Berklee Online.

Jennifer Jones serves as Chief Legal Officer for the Recording Academy®. In her role, Jones oversees the Academy's day-to-day legal matters and is the advisor to the Academy's Board of Trustees, senior Recording Academy staff, the senior leadership of its affiliates, and other areas within the organization. She also acts as the liaison between the Academy's business units and outside counsel, and supports and facilitates these interactions to enforce the Academy’s intellectual property rights. She is responsible for managing the organization's legal affairs department covering contract law, employment law, privacy and data protection, intellectual property, advocacy, and not-for-profit governance.

Prior to joining the Recording Academy, Jones was an attorney for 17 years at the international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, where she served as counsel and advisor to clients in the arts, entertainment and sports industries. In her role, Jones worked with the Recording Academy for over a decade, advising the Academy and its affiliates on a broad range of legal matters.

Jones holds a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She is admitted to practice in California, New York and Illinois.

Michael Kovac serves as Chief of Staff at the Recording Academy, where he directly supports the CEO and oversees the functions of the Executive Office. In his role, he is responsible for driving the Academy’s enterprise-wide success and growth, as well as supporting the organization’s strategic initiatives. Appointed in 2020, Kovac became the Recording Academy’s first-ever Chief of Staff.

Prior to joining the Academy, Kovac worked as a management consultant in the entertainment and technology industries.

He holds a degree in Business from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University.

John Loken serves as Executive Vice President of Marketing for the Recording Academy®. In his role, Loken is responsible for expanding the organization's reach and influence through elevated brand storytelling. He oversees creative services, brand communication, social media, email marketing, merchandising, analytics, and advertising, and his team uses these capabilities to engage with consumers, members and the industry at-large. Collectively their goal is to increase the public's awareness of the Recording Academy's higher mission, which is to use the GRAMMYs® as a platform for even greater social impact.

Prior to joining the organization, Loken was senior vice president of consumer marketing at Endeavor/IMG Events where he helped reshape product, pricing and go-to-market strategy for a global portfolio of 300+ entertainment and sporting events. In this role, his team drove significant revenue and margin increases for key properties like The Miami Open and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, and spearheaded brand launches including the UFC in China and the blockbuster touring exhibition King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh. He also held past roles as executive vice president of marketing & distribution at Ticketmaster, was Live Nation Concerts' first senior vice president of tour marketing, and led international product marketing at Warner Records and Motown Records, independent labels Discovery/China Records, and Fearless Records. Loken also co-founded the creative agency, Brands+Music, that partnered artists with corporate sponsors.

Loken runs an events workshop called The Experience Factory, whose mission is to create immersive experiences that inspire participants to take personal action and is working with the author of the international bestseller Sapiens to create awareness for solutions to the major challenges that face humanity.

Loken received his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music.

Ruby Marchand serves as Chief Awards & Global Industry Officer for the Recording Academy®, overseeing both Awards and Membership & Industry Relations. In her role, she works closely with Genre Managers on the Awards team to effect outreach to musical communities across the nation and beyond, bringing innovative new possibilities into the Awards process while ensuring their utmost integrity. Marchand focuses on creative strategies that enhance the natural alignment between Awards and Membership, overseeing the Membership team as well as the leaders of the Producers & Engineers Wing®, Songwriters & Composers Wing and GRAMMY U®.

Prior to joining the executive team, Marchand held several elected leadership roles at the Academy. In 2004, she was elected Governor and Vice President of the New York Chapter, where she chaired GRAMMY In The Schools® for more than 12 years. In 2011, Marchand was elected a National Trustee from the New York Chapter and served for two terms. She was elected Vice Chair of the Academy by the National Board of Trustees in 2015 and served until 2019. Additionally, she was co-chair of the Awards & Nominations Committee for seven years and helped drive new eligibility rules related to streaming as well as the process of refreshing fields and categories for the GRAMMY Awards®. Marchand was a member of the National Advocacy Committee in 2015-16 and represented the Academy on a historic trade mission in 2014 with A2IM and several independent labels to Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong.

Marchand previously held leadership roles at Warner Music Group, including vice president of International A&R for 25 years, head of A&R for Cordless Recordings and Rykodisc, and senior vice president of revenue and repertoire assurance. Marchand has served as a consultant to the Music and Performing Arts Professions' school at NYU and at other companies and organizations. She is a former executive-in-residence and adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt's Music Business Program.

Marchand attended Oberlin College where she graduated with an independent major in translating the work of French and German women poets into English. She studied flute at the Oberlin Conservatory and played in the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble and the Oberlin gamelan.

Taymoor Marmarchi serves as Global Managing Director, overseeing the Recording Academy’s international expansion, strategic partnerships, and audience engagement initiatives across key regions including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. In this capacity, he leads the development and execution of global growth strategies that strengthen the Academy’s cultural and commercial presence worldwide. Taymoor directs multi-year initiatives encompassing GRAMMY House, GRAMMY Specials, Exhibits, and Membership programs, fostering meaningful connections with governments, cultural ministries, and industry leaders to advance the Academy’s mission globally. He spearheads partnership development with public and private sector institutions, drives new revenue through licensing and sponsorship models, and ensures each regional activation reflects the Academy’s values of creativity, inclusion, and innovation. His leadership integrates global outreach, content, and engagement into a cohesive strategy that builds sustainable membership ecosystems, expands international visibility, and delivers tangible growth for the Recording Academy’s global community of artists, producers, and industry professionals..

Kelley Purcell serves as Senior Vice President of Membership & Industry Relations for the Recording Academy®, overseeing all aspects of membership outreach, peer review, member account services, and the Academy's Chapter systems, including regional and local teams, Chapter events and programming, and all aspects of Chapter service.

Purcell joined the Recording Academy as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chapter in 2013, then transitioned to Senior Director of Member Outreach, leading industry outreach efforts across the Membership & Industry Relations department. During her tenure, she project managed a cross-department team of IT, Digital Media and Communications colleagues over a two-year period and successfully implemented historic changes to the Academy’s membership systems. She also led the recruitment efforts to diversify Academy membership and was the liaison to the Academy’s first-ever Peer Review Panel, responsible for training this body and serving as its point person.

Prior to her time at the Recording Academy, she served as the executive director of Harvardwood, a global nonprofit organization for members of the Harvard University community who believe in the purpose and power of the arts. During her time at Harvardwood, Purcell helped drive a 67 percent increase in the organization’s membership and coordinated the volunteer efforts of a global team. Purcell also has past roles at Island Def Jam Music Group, Monitor Deloitte and Goldstar.

Purcell has been recognized as an Exemplar of Humanity Centered Media at the 2016 Media Done Responsibly Awards and was honored at the 10th Annual Toast to Urban Entertainment Executives in 2017. In 2018, she was honored to take part in the American Express Women in Music Leadership Academy. She was recently named to the 2024 Billboard Women in Music list.

Purcell received a cum laude bachelor’s degree in economics at Harvard University.

Chantel Sausedo serves as Vice President of Artist Relations for the Recording Academy®. In her role, she leads artist relations activities. She is responsible for managing and developing relationships with artists and key members of their teams and collaborates with artist relations stakeholders on strategic planning, systems review, evaluation of outreach, and streamlining of efforts for the Academy and its affiliates. She serves as the key representative to speak on behalf of the organization and ensures talent activities are advancing the Academy's mission.

Sausedo joined the organization in 2021 as the Managing Director of Artist Relations, where she implemented an Artist Involvement Menu that provides all events and opportunities for artists to get involved at the Academy. She also helped establish an official internal ticketing system for talent-booking support. Additionally, she has further developed the Academy's Artist Summer Showcase Series and has brought in numerous diverse, notable artists across genres including Jon Batiste, Cynthia Erivo, Lil Nas X, Måneskin, Carly Pearce, and Olivia Rodrigo, among others.

With over 20 years of experience, Sausedo has worked in artist relations and management within the production, corporate, political, and philanthropic space. Prior to joining the Academy, she booked and produced numerous Music Event Television Specials, including the GRAMMY Awards® Telecast for 10 years and prior to that, was a talent executive for the Telecast. Past programs she has also worked on include PBS's "In Performance At The White House," all "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®" specials, NBC's "Elvis All-Star Tribute," the Laureus World Sports Awards, and the opening of the Taking the Stage exhibit for the African American Museum of History and Culture. Additionally, she has managed artists and produced events for various presidents, the Pope, Dalai Lama, Google, the United Nations, the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and the Recording Academy.

Sausedo received an Emmy® nomination in 2019 for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for her work as a producer for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards® under AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC.

Sean Smith serves as the Grammy organization’s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer. He is responsible for defining, managing, and maintaining its brand identity, reputation, and market positioning. Prior to joining the Grammys, Sean led the global corporate communications practice at public relations firm Porter Novelli, where he advised some of the world's biggest brands. Between 2002 and 2012, Sean worked in US politics, culminating in roles on Barack Obama’s two successful campaigns and as a political appointee in President Obama’s first term. He taught at Yale University for five years and holds degrees from Harvard and the University of Oregon.

What began as an internship at the Recording Academy has grown into a career defined by building some of music's most iconic moments and productions.

As Senior Vice President of Production & Event Operations, Supa leads the full scope of the GRAMMY Awards® and the Academy’s year-round production operations, including telecast logistics, broadcast specials, event management, creative development, ticketing, credentialing, venue and municipal relations, and financial oversight. He also serves as a trusted partner to the Academy's affiliates — The Latin Recording Academy®, GRAMMY Museum®, and MusiCares® — and plays a key role in production of the Latin GRAMMY Awards®.

Over the course of his tenure, Supa has developed and expanded many of the Academy's signature productions, spearheaded the introduction of digital ticketing, and significantly grown GRAMMY ticket and suite revenue. He guided the organization's live productions through the challenges of the pandemic, overseeing COVID protocols and response for both the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards.

A founding member of the Academy's Diversity & Inclusion Staff Council, he has also been instrumental in shaping the organization's culture. Supa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television and Film with an emphasis in Production Management from California State University, Northridge.

With more than 27 years of auditing, accounting, and financial reporting experience, Wayne Zahner currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Recording Academy®, NARAS Properties, Inc., and the GRAMMY Museum®. He is responsible for and oversees all accounting, financial, legal, insurance, trademark, copyright, and facilities-related matters.

Zahner joined the Recording Academy as Controller in October 2001. He was promoted to Director of Business Affairs in December 2002 and appointed Chief Financial Officer in July 2004.

Prior to joining the Academy, he worked in management consulting with an emphasis on construction, cost accounting, and fraud prevention at Jefferson Wells International. Previously, Zahner was the manager of the internal audit department of KB Home, one of the nation's largest residential homebuilders, where he planned and executed financial, internal control, construction inventory, mortgage servicing, and fraud audits. He also worked as an assistant controller and senior internal auditor for Ryland Homes; senior financial accountant with USF&G Insurance, preparing financial statements, SEC filings, and accounting research; and as a senior auditor with C.W. Amos & Company, LLC, a regional public accounting firm on the East Coast.

Zahner is a CPA and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He was honored as a finalist, for the second year in a row, in the nonprofit category in the 2008 Los Angeles Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards.

Zahner holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J. School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland.

Theresa Wolters serves as the Executive Director for MusiCares®, in charge of developing, implementing and overseeing MusiCares' programs and services nationally. In her role, she is responsible for executing and advancing the vision and direction of all mission-based programs and services for MusiCares, which include emergency financial assistance, mental health and addiction recovery programs, social and preventive health care services, and disaster relief efforts.

For two decades, Wolters has worked around the globe to increase access to health, financial and emergency services in vulnerable communities. Prior to joining MusiCares, she previously spent over 12 years holding various positions at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). At EGPAF, she was part of the organization’s senior leadership team and played an integral role in driving EGPAF’s strategic, technical and sustainability focus, working in coordination with Ministries of Health, UN agencies, the U.S. government, philanthropies, and NGOs. With her team, Wolters scaled innovative approaches to increase access to health services across low-resource countries.

Prior to joining EGPAF, Wolters spent more than a decade working on multi-sectoral development and relief programs across Africa. In 2005, she was a founding employee of Millennium Promise, a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and was integral in launching and managing the Millennium Villages Project, a demonstration of how the MDGs and SDGs can be achieved. In 2009, Wolters held the role of regional coordinator of the International Medical Corps where she directed the organization's health and refugee programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, and Uganda.

Wolters holds a bachelor's degree from the George Washington University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Heriot-Watt University and studied African Affairs at the University of Cape Town.

Photo credit: Kelly Samson