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GRAMMYs

Cheryl Guerin, Lori Feldman, Gabrielle Armand & Stacy Smith

Photo credit: Joshua Applegate

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Four Ways We Can Foster Inclusivity In Music emily-lazar-linda-perry-other-powerful-industry-women-talk-inclusivity-music

Emily Lazar, Linda Perry & Other Powerful Industry Women Talk Inclusivity In Music

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During GRAMMY Week 2020, seven women paving the way for greater inclusion in the music industry shared their stories, statistics and advice on how to reshape the system and make more space for women and other underrepresented groups
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 25, 2020 - 11:34 am

Two years ago, the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, led by Stacy Smith, released their first study of inclusivity in music, provided some eye-opening statistics that revealed the male-dominated status quo of the industry. This week, on Jan. 23, industry professionals and musicians gathered together in a sunny room of MasterCard's special GRAMMY Week One Love Hotel experience on Sunset Boulevard to hear from barrier-breaking women on exactly how we can even the playing field and fix these numbers.  

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Split up with two delicious meals and space to chat with fellow attendees on the sunny, L.A. skyline-backed patio, Designing a Better Music Industry for Women: Equality on Both Sides of the Board featured two dynamic conversations that brought forward actionable ways we can all create a more inclusive music industry. The first conversation was a panel moderated by SiriusXM Hits Host Nicole Ryan and featuring Cheryl Guerin, Vice President of Marketing/Communications at Mastercard, Lori Feldman, Chief Marketing Officer at Paradigm, Stacy Smith, Founder/Director of USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Gabrielle Armand, Vice President of Marketing of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The after-lunch "fireside chat," moderated by Andrew Hampp of Variety, featured two behind-the-board powerhouses, GRAMMY-nominated producer, songwriter and former Four Non Blondes lead singer Linda Perry and GRAMMY-winning engineer and The Lodge Founder Emily Lazar. Here are the four major themes that emerged over the course of the day.

Sharing Truth With Data & Taking Action

While the statistics brought forth by the Annenberg studies can feel shocking, angering or even overwhelming, instead it is exactly these numbers that motivate action and can measure change. During her introduction, Smith declared her work's focus is to "disrupt systems of injustice" and later pointed to how the study helped highlight all the work that needed to be done and serve as a rallying point for many people across all touchpoints of the industry, including 2020 GRAMMY host Alicia Keys, who was inspired to start the new nonprofit music network, She Is The Music.

"Collective action only happens when people link arms and say we're going to do this together," Smith shared, pointing to She Is The Music as a perfect example of collective action making change. 

She also noted the improvement they've already seen in 2019, as opposed to 2017's numbers, including doubling the number of female producers that worked on hit songs. While there is still plenty of room for improvement, the shifts prove that change can be made when intention and energy is put towards doing things differently. "I'd never seen something like this happen so quickly and so sustained," Smith stated.

Read: Women In Music And Film Talk Self-Confidence & Inclusion At The GRAMMY Museum

Ryan, who underscored the very male-heavy world of radio, feels that really showing those standing against you how they are wrong, so they can actually understand it and see from your perspective, is one of the most fulfilling things to do. When she became pregnant, one of her coworkers at Sirius told her career was over. While it was an upsetting comment to receive, she later sat him down and explained why his opinion was unfair. When she did become a working mother, she demonstrated exactly how she could continue to achieve work-life balance with a child, like many women do. 

Everyone's stories echoed Ryan's point that not only is it important to stand strong in what you know is right and true, but to also go above and beyond often-limited expectations others may have of you. That in itself will not only bring you forward, but help pave the way for others.

Identifying Barriers & Breaking Them

Armand, who got her start in the industry 30 years ago at a jazz label, said that it was knowing her worth that always kept her on the right path: "I knew what my value, what my truth was." As she moved up in her career, she realized the value of modeling this for everyone around her, especially younger people.

As Feldman said, sometimes in the moment, it's hard to really see how bad things are, especially when others see them as "just how it is." Looking back, she's amazed at some of the behaviors that were left unchecked, like a male college photocopying (in the pre-cell phone days) an unflattering picture of her and passing it to all the other men in the office.

As everyone's stories of perseverance highlighted, you often aren't thinking about the fact that you're a female professional until your "otherness" is pointed out to you. 

For Lazar, who won her first GRAMMY last year for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical on Beck's Colors, the first female mastering engineer to ever win this award, the weight of it didn't hit until she won and was informed of this powerful accomplishment. 

When Hampp asked how they faced challenges in their path, especially when doors sometimes weren't even there, Lazar had a poignant answer grounded in optimism and courage. "It's about seeing the doors, seeing the giant padlock and kicking it down. For me, there's doors everywhere."

Advocating For Yourself & Others 

All the women echoed the importance of mentorship, fostering opportunities and education. 

With The Lodge, the mastering studio Lazar founded back in 1997 in New York City, she has an open-door policy and celebrates doing whatever creative things work best for the art. She also feels a responsibility to educate young engineers, so she speaks on college campuses to kids interested in a career in music "to show that it's okay to follow your dream."

Meanwhile, Perry works with her We Are Hear organization and donates hours of her time to countless panels and workshops across her home city of L.A. "If we can offer you one little nugget that can help your career, that's what we are here for," she said.

Guerin, who is grateful to work at an organization like MasterCard that values diversity both internally and with their many community programs, said it well: "Education is continuously important." Education should be ongoing and ever-evolving and really reflect the people they claim to serve. She shared that while women are opening up businesses at twice the rate of men, they are only receiving two percent of the venture capital funding. 

More: Linda Perry, Natasha Bedingfield & More Talk Creating A Collaborative Community For Female Artists At The GRAMMY Museum

Helping Artists Identify Methods Of Distribution

"When you find people in this field that are really accomplished, they're usually more than one thing," Lazar said. "We need to protect those special people; I'm here to protect artists." She underscored the vital importance of giving artists the space to make good art and to also help them distribute it in ways that allow it to really be heard as they intended. 

The official programming ended on this inspiring high note, but really it was just the beginning of many conversations, meeting new faces and, perhaps, movements that will come out of it.

Latin Music Industry And Artists Discuss The Genre's History, Cultural Impact And Future Trends At 2020 GRAMMY Week Panel

The end of GRAMMY Week is near, but there is still plenty more to unpack and celebrate, with the 62nd GRAMMY Awards taking place tomorrow, Sun. Jan. 26. You'll be able to view the Premiere Ceremony and Red Carpet livestreams right here on GRAMMY.com. Then, tune into CBS at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET to watch Music's Biggest Night live.

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Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Rosalía at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Photo: Rachel Luna/FilmMagic/Getty Images

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2020 GRAMMYs Backstage: Rosalía, Lil Nas X, More meet-rosalia-lil-nas-x-billie-eilish-finneas-more-grammy-2020-winners-backstage-staples

Meet Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish & More GRAMMY 2020 Winners Backstage

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Watch 2020 GRAMMY winners FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello and Cage The Elephant talk about their big moments backstage at Staples Center
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 30, 2020 - 8:30 am

The 62nd GRAMMY Awards officially wrapped last Sunday (Jan. 26) after an evening filled with powerhouse performances and exciting first-time GRAMMY winner moments. Let's revisit Music's Biggest Night from a new location by going backstage at Staples Center to talk with some of the freshly crowned GRAMMY winners.

2020 GRAMMY winners Rosalía, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, DJ Khaled, Elvis Costello & The Imposters and Cage The Elephant all spoke to the ever-upbeat backstage interview host Ted Stryker after their big moments. Read on to watch each of the conversations and learn more about their wins.

Watch: Rosalia 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Shortly after taking three more Latin GRAMMYs (for a total of five to date) back home to Barcelona in November, Spanish nu-flamenco queen Rosalía earned her first GRAMMY nominations: Best New Artist and Best Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album. On Sunday during the GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony, she won the latter category for her epic sophomore album, 2018's El Mal Querer.

"I can't believe that this happened, I can't believe that the people here are receiving my music with so much love. I'm so shocked and still processing," the Barcelonan star said backstage.

Read More: How Rosalía Is Reinventing What It Means To Be A Global Pop Star

She also made her GRAMMY stage debut last week, stunning viewers with her powerful vocals and choreography during a mind-blowing performance featuring her newest song, "Juro Que," and the EMQ favorite, "Malamente." When asked if she was nervous before her performance, she revealed she was, but was also thrilled about sharing her flamenco-inspired music on the acclaimed GRAMMY stage in Los Angeles. "The excitement was bigger than anything else."

Watch: Lil Nas X 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

2019 was a wild ride for genre-dancing cowboy Lil Nas X, who took us all to the "Old Town Road" multiverse. From a viral sensation on TikTok to a record-breaking No. 1 run in a matter of months, the 20-year-old now has two GRAMMYs to his name: Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, both for the megahit. He also made his shimmering GRAMMY stage musical debut with a trippy, star-studded performance of the GRAMMY-winning bop and "Rodeo."

"A year ago, I was somewhere online, promoting this song called 'Old Town Road' with barely a nickel to my name," the "Panini" artist said, rocking a fierce hot pink cowboy getup. "Now I'm here at the GRAMMYs, [with] two GRAMMY Awards."

More: 10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Reflecting on his rapid rise toward fame and global acclaim, he revealed, "The journey has been very spiritually and mentally challenging, but it helped so much. I've completely turned, and I'm going to continue to turn, into a better version of myself."

Billie Eilish & FINNEAS: One-On-One Interview

A few minutes after taking home their final GRAMMY wins (they each earned five!), sibling wunderkinds Billie Eilish and FINNEAS caught up with Stryker backstage. When he asked where all the emotion was coming from, a teary-eyed Eilish laughingly responded, "Dawg, everywhere! Where is the emotion? It's everything… It's coming from the fact that we just won a bunch of GRAMMYs."

He also asked what their biggest hopes for the album were. Their answers make their GRAMMY triumph even more powerful. "I wasn't expecting anything," Eilish answered.

WATCH: Billie Eilish Performs "When The Party's Over" | 2020 GRAMMY Awards

"We just made this album that we liked. I can't stress it enough. We didn't mean for it to win a GRAMMY, you know? We made an album that we loved and that we wanted to make. That was kind of our only goal, to enjoy making it, enjoy it once it was out and enjoy performing it, so this is just unreal."

"One of the only goals we had with it was that we wanted to make an album that we love playing live because we tour so much," FINNEAS added.

Watch: DJ Khaled 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

DJ/producer DJ Khaled also took home his first GRAMMY win on Sunday for Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." The uplifting track features late L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle—the song was recorded before his death and released less than two months afterward—along with EGOT king John Legend. Hussle won two posthumous GRAMMYs, also taking home Best Rap Performance for the last single he released, "Racks In The Middle," featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy.

Watch: Behind The Board: DJ Khaled Reflects On His Early Days, Working With Music's Biggest Artists & More

"The day it started off—it was tough, it was real tough," Khaled shared, referring to NBA hero Kobe Bryant's shocking death earlier that day. "[During sound check], John Legend was playing the piano and started singing 'Higher.' It touched my soul. It made me like, 'We gonna go out here, we gonna do it for our brothers.'"

"We come to show love and spread love, for the families," he added, also sharing his excitement for the recent birth of his second son, Aalam.

Watch: Elvis Costello 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

1979 Best New Artist nominee Elvis Costello has been doing things his own way within the pop space since before 2020 Best New Artist Billie Eilish was even born, and he's still in it. On Sunday, he took home Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Look Now, his 2018 album with his band, The Imposters. It is the group's first GRAMMY win together and Costello's second—his first was in 1999 for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for "I Still Have That Other Girl," featuring Burt Bacharach.

Dive In: 2020 GRAMMYs Red Carpet: Go 'Behind The Seams' With Kéla Walker, Nikita Dragun, Tess Holliday, Shaun Ross And Ty Hunter

Introducing his bandmates, including GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Sebastian Krys, Costello said, smiling, "We are our own tradition. Being traditional ain't a bad thing… I guess people were surprised because they think of us in terms of one kind of music from 40 years ago, but we play every kind of music."

He also talked about collaborating with Bacharach again on some of the GRAMMY-winning album's tracks and how one of the songs was one he'd written with Carole King 25 years ago. Now, they're ready to share more surprises in 2020.

Watch: Cage The Elephant 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Alt-rock favorites Cage The Elephant, who broke through the dense alt-rock landscape of the late-'00s/early-'10s with "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" in 2009, just earned their second golden gramophone. They won Best Rock Album for Social Cues, the Kentucky group's fifth studio album. The amazingly eclectic-dressed squad, with bassist Daniel Tichenor and drummer Jared Champion both wearing Helen Anthony threads, caught up with Stryker backstage to share in the excitement.

More: 2020 GRAMMYs: Usher, Sheila E. & FKA Twigs Honor The Purple One With A Prince-Themed Medley

"I think all [albums] have their own journey, but this one took longer. I think it was exactly what it needed to be," guitarist Brad Shultz said. They also joked about how they felt their acceptance speech went ("second worst" compared to 2017). Lead vocalist Matt Shultz explains how he had typed up a speech with who to thank, along with a poem, but left it on his seat in the surprise moment of the win.

"It's just such a blessing to be able to share something with people and to bring people together, and I think that's the most gratifying thing that you can get out of any of this," Brad added. "It's such a blessing to be recognized by the Academy, and it's kind of confirmation that we're connecting with people."

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2020 GRAMMYs: Clive Davis And The Recording Academy Celebrate Sean "Diddy" Combs With Industry Icon Honor At Star-Studded Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Social House at the L.A. Chapter Celebration

Social House at the L.A. Chapter Celebration

Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Recording Academy

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Lucky Daye & More Celebrate 2020 GRAMMY Noms lucky-daye-social-house-julian-marley-more-2020-grammy-nominees-attend-recording

Lucky Daye, Social House, Julian Marley & More 2020 GRAMMY Nominees Attend The Recording Academy's L.A. Chapter Celebration

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"These are your advocates," Evan Bogart, President of The Recording Academy L.A. Chapter, said of his colleagues
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 20, 2020 - 2:25 pm

This past Saturday, hundreds of the Recording Academy Los Angeles Chapter's members filled Crustacean, a Beverly Hills fine-dining staple, with laughter, smiles, swag and all-around fresh looks. The official order of business was to celebrate the 200-plus 2020 GRAMMY nominees within the L.A. Chapter's membership on the eve of GRAMMY Week.

Some of these nominees in attendance were Lucky Daye, Social House, Julian Marley and Scott Holiday of Rival Sons, all of whom chatted with us behind the scenes at the event and you can hear from in our exclusive video below.

See Lucky Daye & More At L.A. Chapter Nom Party

Watch: Warning: Lucky Daye Makes Sensitive Music That Might Make You Cry In Your Car

"Seeing the look on our parents face was kinda wild," Charles Anderson of Social House told us about his their first-time GRAMMY nominations.

Fellow current GRAMMY nominees Sara Gazarek, Ray Brinker of the Tierney Sutton Band, Eric Alexandrakis, Benjamin Rice, Laura Sisk (a GRAMMY-winning sound engineer who worked on Lana Del Rey's NFR!), Dernst "D'Mile" Emile (he's produced for Lucky Daye and other major acts) and BJ The Chicago Kid also joined the fun at the star-studded industry event.

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In addition to the fabulous company, the event featured a delicious brunch from Crustacean's kitchen, including their signature crab bites, endless garlic noodles, a variety of marinated skewers, black truffle & bacon eggs and more. A hosted bar plus welcome cocktails from local classy canned beverage upstart Vervet kept the conversations upbeat and flowing.

Read: Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Aerosmith, Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton To Perform At The 2020 GRAMMYs

Once the dining room was packed and the vibes were at a high, several of the Chapter's leaders briefly paused the chatter to share a few words and their deep gratitude. "These are your advocates," Evan Bogart, President of the L.A. Chapter, said of his colleagues that represent the Academy's largest chapter. Qiana Conley, Executive Director of the L.A. Chapter, thanked all of the event's partners, her amazing staff and congratulated the chapter's many nominees.

Conley then passed it over to the celebration's DJ, "future funk" artist Yung Bae. He raised the vibe even higher, setting the mood with an upbeat mix of smooth R&B bops and funky disco jams and remixes. Several photo ops provided partygoers with multiple spaces to work the camera, with a Triller video pop-up experience, HYPNO's mobile selfie ball, the Getty Images-assisted sun-soaked rose-and-GRAMMY wall and a custom Birch and Bone-designed floral backdrop.

The 2020 GRAMMYs is now just six days away—stay right here on GRAMMY.com for all the latest GRAMMY Award news, event coverage and, of course, winner announcements and speeches. For more details on how to tune live the day of, click here.

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Gloria Gaynor And Cheap Trick To Headline The 2020 GRAMMY Celebration

Entertainment Law Initiative 2020 Event

22nd Annual Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Event & Scholarship Presentation | GRAMMY Week 2020

Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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GRAMMY Week 2020: ELI Event Embraces Change grammy-week-2020-entertainment-law-initiative-event-celebrates-change-makers-and

GRAMMY Week 2020: Entertainment Law Initiative Event Celebrates Change-Makers And Discusses Today's Most Pressing Issues

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As the music industry continues to evolve, the Recording Academy recognizes those at the vanguard of entertainment law and the leaders pushing the profession forward
John Ochoa
Advocacy
Jan 31, 2020 - 7:47 am

They say change is the only constant in life. That's a mantra by which the music industry lives. And when it comes to entertainment law, change is what drives the business forward. 

Change is the theme that defined the 22nd Annual Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Event & Scholarship Presentation, the most prominent gathering for entertainment attorneys and other music business professionals during GRAMMY Week. Every year, the ELI event unites the music business community and addresses some of the most compelling issues facing the music industry today. The 2020 ELI event—held last week (Friday, Jan. 24) as an official GRAMMY Week event at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif.—honored an industry luminary initiating change today while also recognizing some future leaders in law. 

For over two decades, ELI has addressed the shifting landscape of entertainment law head on, providing a forum for legal thought leaders and honoring its own practitioners who are ensuring the industry adapts to the ever-changing music and entertainment industry. 

It's no wonder, then, that this year's ELI Service Award honored Jeff Harleston, a music industry veteran who has faced virtually every sea change to directly challenge the entertainment law field. 

"Over the last 25 years or so, no industry has experienced more change than the music industry," Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said in his opening remarks at the gathering. "But throughout this period of turmoil and transformation, there've been two constants. First, amazing artists making great music. And secondly, as if you didn't know by now, Jeff Harleston's extraordinary sound judgment."

Harleston, who currently serves as the general counsel and executive vice president of business and legal affairs at Universal Music Group, has been a champion for artists and creators throughout his decades-long career. Across his days as the head of the business and legal affairs department at MCA Records in the late '90s to his time as general manager of Geffen Records, Harleston has worked with iconic artists like Mary J. Blige, Nelly Furtado and Snoop Dogg, among many others. 

"There's no bigger friend to artists than Jeff," three-time GRAMMY winner Common said of Harleston in a personalized tribute video. "So you can call Jeff a general counsel or a board member or a role model. They all fit. But I'll continue to call him a friend. He's a true advocate for artists. And I couldn't be prouder of the recognition he's receiving today."

ELI 2020 - Jeff Harleston - Sir Lucian Grainge

Making his way to the stage, the crowd offering a well-deserved standing ovation, Harleston addressed the room with pride and jubilation in his voice and optimism in his sight. 

"This is to the lawyers in the room," he said. "At times, we know being a lawyer in the music business can be an entirely thankless task, but we love it because we love music… But most importantly, we have learned to work together. And what we've been able to do when we work together is move it forward really well. We move things forward legislatively, we've empowered new services that are finding ways to bring our music and the artists' music to places they've never been before. And it's all because we've allowed ourselves to respect each other and trust each other. I really am happy to see that happen and I really hope that we can continue that spirit." 

As he remembered his extensive career and all that he and his colleagues have together accomplished for the industry and the wider artist community, he took a moment to acknowledge the road ahead for entertainment law and the challenges to come. 

"As I reflect on my almost-27 years in this business," he said, "there's one thing that's clear about the music business: the constant is change. Change happens all the time... But what we have to do and what we've learned to do... we've learned to deal with the change. And change is hard. It can be abrupt. It can be unexpected. It can be painful. But it's important, and it has to happen.

"We are in the midst of a change as we speak. But I know that we are strong and resilient, and we will get through it. And when we come out the other side, we will be better, we'll be stronger and the world will be great. In the words of Bob Dylan, 'The times, they are a-changin’."

Fittingly, Dylan's eternal lyrics and Harleston's remarks nod to the ever-evolving music industry and the modern issues it faces, many of which were addressed by the entrants of the 2020 ELI Writing Competition. 

As one of its core elements, ELI has supported promising law students and has fostered future careers in entertainment law, having provided more than 800 students with scholarships to date. The event's popular yearly student writing competition and scholarship presentation acknowledge the outstanding law students who are seeking to push entertainment law into the future.

This year's writing competition entrants, who each addressed a compelling legal issue confronting the music industry and proposed a solution in their essays, tackled some of today's most timely and pressing matters in the field.

Christopher Chiang, a student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, won the writing competition with an essay proposing a sliding scale framework for copyright protection in music. Chiang was presented his award, which came along with a $10,000 scholarship and tickets to various GRAMMY Week events, onstage by Ken Abdo, a partner at Fox Rothschild who has been involved with the ELI Writing Competition since its beginnings. Runner-ups included John Gilbertson, a student at Drake University School of Law in Des Moines, Iowa, and Graham Fenton from UCLA Law. 

ELI 2020 - Christopher Chiang - Ken Abdo

Perhaps the most urgent issue and forthcoming change to affect the music industry today comes via California Assembly Bill 5, more commonly known as AB5. The newly passed state statute aims to protect workers in the "gig economy," namely Uber drivers. However, its impact on the music industry could prove detrimental. (Music creators, particularly those who work as independent contracts, such as studio musicians or session/backing players, would potentially need to be recognized as employees and/or employers in order to secure work, which in turn entails a more complicated hiring process and higher fees for one-time gigs and short-term projects and performances.) Having gone into effect at the beginning of 2020, AB5 today stands as one of the most timely and important issues for music creators' rights in 2020.

In a panel that followed remarks by ELI Executive Committee Chair Michael Kushner, who is executive vice president, business & legal affairs and general counsel at Atlantic Records, some of the brightest and most active voices in the battle over AB5 spoke of the well-intended law and its potentially damaging effect on the music industry.

"AB5 is the definition of the 'law of unintended consequences,'" said Jordan Bromley, a partner at Manatt Entertainment Transactions & Finance. "It was meant to hit a certain sector of California industry, and it [was] painted with such a wide brush that everyone is affected, unless there's a specific exemption in the bill. I would say the one way to look at it is if somebody is providing you or your company or your artists or your producer or your songwriter a service that is 'core to the business,' they are now your employee."

Since its passing, the music biz and artist community have largely banded together to address AB5, with many from both sides of the industry launching online petitions and meeting with California lawmakers directly in an attempt to secure exemption from the law on behalf of the wider music industry. 

Ari Herstand, an independent musician, author and music industry blogger, has been at the forefront of the AB5 debate since it went into law. He's since gathered 50,000 petitions from California music professionals who are against the law. 

"We're 20-something days into this thing right now, and I'm literally gathering stories every single day from musicians who are losing work," he said. "I've hundreds of documented cases of musicians in California that are losing work."

Daryl Friedman, Ari Herstand, Morgan Kibby and Jordan Bromley at 2020 Entertainment Law Initiative event

But much like any other major change to impact the business, the music industry is already making headway into addressing and alleviating the issues of AB5.

Both Bromley and Herstand agree education is a key component in pushing things forward.

"The unions ran the bill," Bromley said. "The unions will run the next bill, most likely. So we need the unions on board. They're all conceptually there... It's frankly a lot of education on our business because it's weird and wacky and nuanced. And even some of the unions that exist in our business don't really understand how it's evolved in the last 10 years. So it's just a lot of patience and education, but everyone's at the table and everyone is focused on a solution."

"There needs to be education," Herstand added. "Right now, because of all of the hysteria around this—that's why so many musicians are literally losing work every day. So as soon as this—hopefully it's an urgency bill—passes, everybody needs to write about it. Every lawyer needs to know this to be able to educate. So I encourage everybody here to follow this process along and, once this thing gets passed, to educate your clients on what is actually happening and that we have found a fix, hopefully."

Panel moderator Daryl Friedman, Chief Industry, Government and Member Relations Officer for the Recording Academy, concluded the chat on a high note of optimism regarding the road ahead with AB5.

"It's going to be a lot of hard work by a lot of people," he said. "Hopefully a year from now, we will realize that this has been fixed. But I think there's also another lesson that is more enduring: the lesson of when creators get involved [and] when creators speak. They make the difference here. When creators speak, policymakers listen."

It's the exact kind of dialogue that has come to define the ethos and vision of ELI throughout the decades: When change comes a-knockin', we will be there to adapt, listen, learn and educate. 

The Entertainment Law Initiative maintains its support for the music industry as a whole, from its creators to its executives to its attorneys, and will continue to foster the next generation of change-makers within the music business and legal community for decades to come.

What's Ahead In 2020 For Music Creators' Rights?

Sheléa

Sheléa

Photo: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

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Sheléa Serves GRAMMY Week Motivation shel%C3%A9a-serves-grammy-week-motivation-why-i-do-what-i-do-give-next-generation

Sheléa Serves GRAMMY Week Motivation: "This Is Why I Do What I Do, To Give To The Next Generation"

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The Quincy Jones-managed singer/songwriter/keyboardist spoke to a group of local high school students at the GRAMMY Museum for the first educational program of GRAMMY Week 2020
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 22, 2020 - 1:59 pm

To have some of the most respected music O.G.s—including Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and David Foster—in your corner is no small feat, especially in today's highly saturated, internet-led space. Soulful songstress Sheléa has all this and more—in 2012 she performed for the at the White House for Barack and Michelle Obama, for example—but she values celebrating her heroes and inspiring the next generation above personal accolades and achievements.

At the first of the educational events during the GRAMMY Museum's special GRAMMY Week programming, the singer/songwriter/keyboardist treated students to a powerhouse performance, an informative interview by the Museum's Senior Education Coordinator Schyler O'Neal and thoughtful answers to the students' questions.

Read: 11 Things We Learned About Larkin Poe At The GRAMMY Museum

To start things off, Sheléa sang two songs—"Summertime," the 1930's jazz number first popularized by Billie Holiday, and Bill Withers' 1971 GRAMMY-winning classic, "Ain't No Sunshine." During the latter song, she encouraged kids to snap in time with her, and they all did; a few even kept the rhythm going when others took a break to soak in her powerhouse high notes.

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"You're the future, so it's an honor to spend time with you," she said to the smiling group of students, consisting of high schoolers from four local Los Angeles schools.

When O'Neal asked how she got to where she is today, the "City of Angels" singer said, "I've been true to myself this whole journey," which required a lot of faith, honesty and heart. She also talked about working with and becoming friends with Wonder in recent years, who she's been a fan of since she was very young.

She collaborated with the 25-time GRAMMY-winning legend on "Love Fell On Me," the title track to her 2013 debut album, and "Pretty World," the first song off of her 2019 tribute album to GRAMMY-winning songwriter power couple Alan and Marilyn Bergman. She also shared that she has another song with Wonder on the way via his forthcoming project.

When the questions were opened up to the audience, the kids followed up with some great questions. One of the most moving ones came from Oscar, a senior who bravely shared he's struggled with anxiety and self-doubt for much of his life. He wanted to know if Sheléa had any advice that could help him overcome these difficult emotions that he knew were holding him back. She reminded him, and everyone in the audience, to remember "You're not alone," as many other people—including successful, creative people—also face these feelings.

Related: Christina Bell On "Going" & Playing Twinkie Clark In The 'The Clark Sisters' Biopic

Sheléa also highlighted the importance of having the people closest to you lift you up and hold you accountable to your goals in a compassionate way. Even if it's just one person, she stressed, having someone "that will do it in love, in a way that will resonate with you" is a great way to stay motivated and grounded. Underscoring that it can take time to find these people in your life, Sheléa pointed out that it's equally important to champion yourself, citing how affirmations have helped her. "Affirmations set to music are song formation," Sheléa noted before reciting some with the group. Hearing "I am enough" echo through ourselves and the theater was a powerful moment for everyone there.

Explore 'Beyond Black: The Style of Amy Winehouse' Kicks Off At The GRAMMY Museum

The final student question came from a girl who wanted to know what the biggest moments in Sheléa's job were, to which she replied, "This is why I do what I do, to give to the next generation…You're going to go above and beyond what I'm doing. That's real, the realest thing."

Another very brave student, Isaiah, volunteered to take the stage for a special mini-vocal coaching lesson with Sheléa. He chose to sing Alicia Keys' GRAMMY-winning bop "If I Ain't Got You" and with some guidance and encouragement, was able to drop into his body, move past some of his nervousness and hit a higher register.  

Finally, the "Because Of You" singer wrapped up the event with a song—Bob Dylan's oft-covered 1997 track "Make You Feel My Love"—before taking a group photo and selfies with the smiling students.

The GRAMMY Museum's jam-packed GRAMMY Week programming continues with more student-centered educational programs, like Music Of Hawaii and Careers In The Music Industry, as well as all-ages events with The Cranberries and Linda Perry. Visit the Museum's programming page for more info on what you can attend.

And stay tuned to GRAMMY.com, where you'll get more behind-the-scenes looks at 2020 GRAMMY Week events, including the 62nd GRAMMY Awards, airing live on Sunday, Jan. 26 on CBS.

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