meta-scriptGRAMMY Week 2022: Cameron Crowe Announced As Keynote Speaker At 24th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative GRAMMY Week Event | GRAMMY.com
GRAMMY Week 2022: Cameron Crowe Announced As Keynote Speaker At 24th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative GRAMMY Week Event
Cameron Crowe attends a screening of 'David Crosby: Remember My Name' in 2019

Photo: Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

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GRAMMY Week 2022: Cameron Crowe Announced As Keynote Speaker At 24th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative GRAMMY Week Event

GRAMMY- and Oscar-winning writer, director, and producer Cameron Crowe will serve as keynote at the 24th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative, an official GRAMMY Week 2022 event

GRAMMYs/Mar 2, 2022 - 02:22 pm

The 24th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative GRAMMY Week Event is now set to take place on Sat, April 2, 2022. As with the 2022 GRAMMYs show, officially known as the 64th GRAMMY Awards, the event will be held in Las Vegas. The in-person luncheon and presentation will be held at the ARIA Resort & Casino. 

GRAMMY- and Oscar-winning writer, director, and producer Cameron Crowe will serve as keynote speaker during the program. Crowe is the Academy Award-winning screenwriter-director of Almost Famous, and his other films include Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Say Anything…, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, We Bought A Zoo, and music documentaries Pearl Jam Twenty and The Union. He most recently produced the Sundance documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name and "Almost Famous: The Musical," debuting on Broadway later this year. 

In addition, the winner and runners-up of the annual Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest have been chosen by the ELI's panel of attorney graders. Co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, the contest challenges law students to identify and research a current legal issue in the music industry and outline a proposed solution in an essay. The winning paper is published in the ABA's journal, Entertainment & Sports Lawyer. 

A $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the winner, a $2,500 scholarship is awarded to two runners-up, and a mentor session with a leading entertainment attorney is given to all three. The winner will also receive travel and tickets to Las Vegas to attend the 64th GRAMMY Awards, MusiCares Person of the Year and the ELI Event.

Winner

Sona Sulakian, J.D. Candidate
USC Gould School of Law
Los Angeles
Paper Title
"Protecting the Artist: Licensing in an AI-Generated Music Market"

Runner-Up

Chelsea Cohen, J.D. Candidate
Loyola Law School
Los Angeles
"Welcome to the Metaverse: Solving Old-World Licensing in a Whole New Universe"

Runner-Up

Michael Harrigan, J.D. Candidate
Stetson University College of Law
Gulfport, Florida
"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: How Blockchain Technology Can Shift the DMCA's Burden of Notification Away From Copyright Owners"

As previously announced, the 2022 Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award will be presented at the event to Susan Genco, co-president of The Azoff Company. This accolade is awarded to an attorney who has demonstrated commitment to advancing and supporting the music community through service.

The Recording Academy established the Entertainment Law Initiative in partnership with the nation's most prominent entertainment attorneys to promote discussion and debate around compelling legal matters and trends in the ever-evolving music industry. The ELI GRAMMY Week Event is the premier annual gathering of entertainment attorneys to celebrate the achievements of their own practitioners, hear from legal thought leaders, and support students who are pursuing careers in music law.

Sponsorship packages for the event are available. Contact Neil Crilly, neil.crilly@recordingacademy.com, for more information. Single admission tickets are also available at seetickets.us/ELI2022.

Silver: $500
Bronze: $375
Student: $100
(must be enrolled in a J.D. or L.L.M program at U.S. law school)

WHEN: Sat, April 2, 2022

11 a.m.           Media Check-In
11:15 a.m.      Media Interviews & Photos
noon              Reception
1 p.m.            Luncheon & Presentation

WHERE: ARIA Resort & Casino

3730 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, Nevada 89158

The Recording Academy Announces Official Schedule For GRAMMY Week 2022

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Doja Cat & SZA Tearfully Accept Their First GRAMMYs For "Kiss Me More"
(L-R) Doja Cat and SZA at the 2022 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Doja Cat & SZA Tearfully Accept Their First GRAMMYs For "Kiss Me More"

Relive the moment the pair's hit "Kiss Me More" took home Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, which marked the first GRAMMY win of their careers.

GRAMMYs/Mar 1, 2024 - 06:11 pm

As Doja Cat put it herself, the 2022 GRAMMYs were a "big deal" for her and SZA.

Doja Cat walked in with eight nominations, while SZA entered the ceremony with five. Three of those respective nods were for their 2021 smash "Kiss Me More," which ultimately helped the superstars win their first GRAMMYs.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit the night SZA and Doja Cat accepted the golden gramophone for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — a milestone moment that Doja Cat almost missed.

"Listen. I have never taken such a fast piss in my whole life," Doja Cat quipped after beelining to the stage. "Thank you to everybody — my family, my team. I wouldn't be here without you, and I wouldn't be here without my fans."

Before passing the mic to SZA, Doja also gave a message of appreciation to the "Kill Bill" singer: "You are everything to me. You are incredible. You are the epitome of talent. You're a lyricist. You're everything."

SZA began listing her praises for her mother, God, her supporters, and, of course, Doja Cat. "I love you! Thank you, Doja. I'm glad you made it back in time!" she teased.

"I like to downplay a lot of s— but this is a big deal," Doja tearfully concluded. "Thank you, everybody."

Press play on the video above to hear Doja Cat and SZA's complete acceptance speech for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

How 'SOS' Transformed SZA Into A Superstar & Solidified Her As The Vulnerability Queen

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Baby Keem Celebrate "Family Ties" During Best Rap Performance Win In 2022
Baby Keem (left) at the 2022 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Baby Keem Celebrate "Family Ties" During Best Rap Performance Win In 2022

Revisit the moment budding rapper Baby Keem won his first-ever gramophone for Best Rap Performance at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards for his Kendrick Lamar collab "Family Ties."

GRAMMYs/Feb 23, 2024 - 05:50 pm

For Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, The Melodic Blue was a family affair. The two cousins collaborated on three tracks from Keem's 2021 debut LP, "Range Brothers," "Vent," and "Family Ties." And in 2022, the latter helped the pair celebrate a GRAMMY victory.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, turn the clock back to the night Baby Keem accepted Best Rap Performance for "Family Ties," marking the first GRAMMY win of his career.

"Wow, nothing could prepare me for this moment," Baby Keem said at the start of his speech.

He began listing praise for his "supporting system," including his family and "the women that raised me and shaped me to become the man I am."

Before heading off the stage, he acknowledged his team, who "helped shape everything we have going on behind the scenes," including Lamar. "Thank you everybody. This is a dream."

Baby Keem received four nominations in total at the 2022 GRAMMYs. He was also up for Best New Artist, Best Rap Song, and Album Of The Year as a featured artist on Kanye West's Donda.

Press play on the video above to watch Baby Keem's complete acceptance speech for Best Rap Performance at the 2022 GRAMMYs, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

How The 2024 GRAMMYs Saw The Return Of Music Heroes & Birthed New Icons

Teezo Touchdown, Tiana Major9 & More Were In Bloom At The 2024 GRAMMYs Emerging Artist Showcase
Musical group Aint Afraid

Photo: Unique Nicole/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Teezo Touchdown, Tiana Major9 & More Were In Bloom At The 2024 GRAMMYs Emerging Artist Showcase

Part of the all-new GRAMMY House programming for GRAMMY Week 2024, PEOPLE and Sephora teamed up to highlight some promising new talent from around the country with the Beats & Blooms Emerging Artist Showcase.

GRAMMYs/Feb 7, 2024 - 12:00 am

Artists on the rise got their metaphorical flowers on Feb. 1, when GRAMMY House played host to the Beats & Blooms Emerging Artist Showcase. The performance-heavy event was produced in conjunction with PEOPLE and Sephora and hosted by comedian Matt Friend.

Some took the floral theme quite literally — like Texas rapper and singer Teezo Touchdown, who took to the stage clasping a giant flower bouquet, his microphone tucked somewhere inside. With his crisp white leather jacket and white gloves, Teezo looked fresh as he performed tracks from his recently released debut album, How Do You Sleep at Night? It wasn't hard to see how late legends like Prince and Rick James have influenced his artistry, and the audience appreciated his fly sartorial style.

Another dynamic performance came from Cocoa Sarai, a Jamaican-American singer/songwriter who has worked with artists such as Dr. Dre and Anderson .Paak (the latter of whom helped Sarai earn a GRAMMY in 2020 for her work on his Best R&B Album-winning project, Ventura). The Brooklyn-born artist — who is part of the new Music Artist Accelerator initiative presented by MasterCard, GRAMMY House’s primary sponsor — delivered an impactful set that included her bird-flipping anthem "Bigger Person" and was assisted by a great beatboxer named Fahz.

As many attendees got glammed up at Sephora's makeup station, the event co-sponsor also presented one of the night's performers. Sephora Sounds highlighted twin sisters Inah and Yahzi of the viral group Ain't Afraid, whose energetic performance hit home. During their charismatic set, which featured the sisters both singing and rapping, the pair told the crowd that their lighthearted stage presence is a way to turn some of their trauma into positive art.

Inah and Yahzi weren't the only sibling duo to take the stage at Beats & Blooms. Brandon and Savannah Hudson — aka BETWEEN FRIENDS — first got national attention as quarter-finalists on "America's Got Talent" in 2013, and have since racked up millions of monthly plays on Spotify for what they like to call "laptop dream pop". BETWEEN FRIENDS performed songs from their 2023 album, I Love My Girl, She's My Boy.

Tiana Major9 closed out the event with an exciting performance that featured a song debut and a sing-along. After premiering a new track called "Braids," the Motown artist got everyone to join together for an exquisite cover of Faith Evans' smoldering "Soon As I Get Home". 

GRAMMY House's three days of events are a place for a diverse array of music industry professionals, musicians and social creators to immerse in the pulse of culture, take the torch and carry it forward — and Beats & Blooms was a powerful example of just that.

The Rise Of Ice Spice: How The "Barbie World" Rapper Turned Viral Moments Into A Full-On Franchise

Inside The 2024 Entertainment Law Initiative Gala: Fierce Advocates Reflect & Honor Their Careers
Michael Kushner and Julie Greenwald attend the 26th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Gala

Photo: Alberto Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Inside The 2024 Entertainment Law Initiative Gala: Fierce Advocates Reflect & Honor Their Careers

Held days before the 2024 GRAMMYs the Entertainment Law Initiative was a chance for the bold-faced names of the industry — including keynote speaker Michelle Jubelirer and honoree Michael Kushner — to toast each other and their essential craft.

GRAMMYs/Feb 6, 2024 - 08:42 pm

It was at a rollicking Guns N Roses concert in Philadelphia in the late 1980s when Michelle Jubelirer, the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Music Group, first knew she wanted to forge her life in music. 

"They were my first real concert and I can still remember and feel that excitement and energy emanating from the stage and absolutely ripping through the crowd," Jubelirer, the keynote speaker at Friday's Entertainment Law Initiative, said. "20,000 people and five performers, all together as one. That visceral feeling is difficult to convey into words, but the rush never left me and I’m always looking for even a glimmer of that feeling."

Jubelirer was speaking to a like-minded group of superstars of their craft, who had gathered in a lush ballroom at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel days before the 2024 GRAMMYs. Affectionately referred to by one attendee as "lawyer prom," the Entertainment Law Initiative was a chance for the bold-faced names of the industry from a disparate array of labels and companies, to toast each other and their essential craft, an all-important and sometimes unsung cog in the music industry machine. 

At the event, Jubelierer, who has helped guide the careers of artists ranging from Best New Artist GRAMMY nominees Ice Spice and Troye Sivan to Sam Smith, reflected on her long path to chasing that "Guns N Roses feeling." And while her current position has her at the helm of Capitol Records, she built her career on a foundation of law. 

Raised by a single mother in rural Pennsylvania, she followed in the footsteps of her late father and entered law school. "I had zero connections in music or entertainment," she explained.  "I cold-called (the entertainment law giant) Alan Grubman to ask for advice, he said to get a job at the best law firm I could."

Eventually, Jubelirer spoke of becoming an attorney for SONY Music and later, the first woman to run Capitol Records in its nearly century-long history. "I only wish such a gender-based fact was not worth mentioning, our business would be in a much better place," she said to applause. "I want to lift the next generation of female artists, executives and attorneys." 

2024 Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest winner Olivia Fortunato (center) receives her scholarship award from ELI Executive Committee member Stephanie Yu and 2023 winner Aron Lichtschein

2024 ELI Writing Contest winner Olivia Fortunato (center) receives her scholarship award from ELI Executive Committee member Stephanie Yu and 2023 winner Aron Lichtschein┃Alberto Rodriguez

Being a fierce advocate for the people one believes in was a recurring theme.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. who opened up the proceedings by noting, "Just before I got here, I was testifying to the House Judiciary committee to pass legislation to protect artists' name, likeness and voice," he said. "We ask everyone to engage with your clients and push them to understand why this issue affects them, and to use their voices to make change happen."

Julie Greenwald, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Music Group, also feted Michale Kushner, the EVP of Business and Legal Affairs and General Council, this year’s recipient of the Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award. 

"It has not only been a pleasure but an honor, you have been our moral compass," Greenwald said before a video rolled of some of the music industry’s most important names, from Atlantic Co-Chairperson Craig Kallman to executive Jason Flom, musing about the impact Kushner made on all of their lives and careers. "There is not a fairer human being and no bigger advocate for artists than Michael Kushner."

"The record company lawyers who entered the music business in the 80s and survived into the today are truly fortunate," said Kushner in his acceptance speech. "We were witness to the joys of CD boom, file sharing and then industry’s return to growth with the arrival of streaming. We had to think about new ways to approach the business, but it didn't change the fundamental reason why we want to be in the business: we still believe in the magic and power of music."

It’s that power of music that Jubelirer was referring to. "But for the artists in the music business, it’s not a coincidence that the ones who are adept at the business side of things [are the ones who have the most success]," she noted. "And giving them Don Passman’s book is not enough," Jubelirer stated, alluding to the author’s legendary tome All You Need to Know About the Music Business.

"Career-wise, we are nothing without artists and anyone who thinks otherwise is either delusional, egomaniacal or both," said Jubelirer. "I hope it's clear, every moment of every day is all about artists and fulfilling my promises to them."

Jubelirer also shared with attendees a promise she made with herself upon joining Capitol: "The day I stop changing the record company more than it was changing me, would be the day I’d walk away," she said, adding that she regularly evaluates her purpose.   

"I am keenly aware that the role I play in an artist's career can have impactful and long lasting  effects. I feel immense responsibility and gratitude to the talented human beings who have trusted me to such a degree," she continued.

But for Jubelirer, it naturally always goes back to that aforementioned Guns N Roses feeling. "No matter where I find myself in this business, I will always approach my relationships with artists as an advocate, protector and fan."

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