Grammy Salute to Industry Icons
Jon Platt, Sony Music Publishing chairman/CEO, is the 2024 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree. The award will be presented at the pre-Grammy Gala, co-hosted by the Recording Academy and Clive Davis, on Saturday, Feb. 3, the night before the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
“One of the most influential figures in the industry, Jon has consistently set the bar for leadership in music,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “His ongoing commitment to equity, his dedication to quality, and his advocacy for artists across all crafts and genres have been an inspiration to music leaders everywhere. We look forward to an incredible evening dedicated to honoring his incredible impact.”
“Jon Platt is one of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders and I am thrilled that he will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honoree,” said Davis. “Jon’s longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as his staunch dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have his insight and passion at the helm.”
Davis originated the pre-Grammy Gala in 1976 when he was looking for a way to celebrate the success of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” Arista Records’ first big hit (and its first Grammy record of the year nominee).
Since Platt’s appointment as Sony Music Publishing’s chairman/CEO in 2019, he has worked to revitalize the company’s “Songwriters First” mission for the 21st century. During Platt’s tenure, the company has strengthened both its legacy and its future, creating partnerships with songwriting legends like Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon; working with established hitmakers like Ashley Gorley; signing the next generation of stars including Olivia Rodrigo, Jack Harlow, Latto, Anitta, Central Cee, Kane Brown and the Kid LAROI; and delivering opportunities for DIY creators through a deal with BeatStars.
Platt has been a strong advocate in the fight for fair compensation for songwriters. Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has worked to ensure that songwriters are paid quickly as their hits move around the world, eliminating long delays in the delivery of foreign royalties. The company has also expanded its presence internationally into India, Indonesia and Nigeria.
Reflecting Platt’s commitment to artist development, SMP has built out its services for songwriters and composers at every stage of their careers. Songwriters Forward — a global initiative — has seen SMP provide mental health and wellness support to its roster through the Songwriter Assistance Program. SMP’s Legacy Unrecouped Balance Program has offered new financial opportunities to legacy songwriters. SMP has also provided over $1 million in grants to working songwriters in collaboration with organizations such as the 100 Percenters, Songwriters of North America (SONA) and Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
Platt believes in building a music business that is as diverse as the music it represents. He has increased diversity across senior leadership teams throughout his career and supported SMP’s global Women’s Leadership Program. This commitment extends to empowering the next generation of songwriters and composers with initiatives like SMP’s Screen Scoring Diversity Scholarship at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.
In 2005, Platt launched The Big Jon Platt Scholarship Program for college-bound students based in Montbello, Colo., the Denver neighborhood where he was raised.
Platt previously served as chairman/CEO of Warner Chappell and led the company’s turnaround. He also spent 17 years at EMI Music Publishing, where he sealed his reputation for recognizing future icons by signing Jay-Z on the release of his 1996 debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt.
Platt’s career in the music business began in the mid-’80s, when, as a DJ in his hometown of Denver, he was credited with breaking records by Public Enemy and Arrested Development in the Midwest. He brought the same passion for spotting hits to his career in music publishing, signing and collaborating with prominent songwriters including Beyoncé, Drake, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams and Usher. Platt is widely credited for elevating how hip-hop and R&B artists are respected and compensated as songwriters.
Platt sits on the boards of Berklee College of Music, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Motown Museum, Living Legends Foundation and the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA).
Platt ranked No. 8 on The Billboard 2023 Power 100 List. His numerous awards include City of Hope’s prestigious Spirit of Life Award, SONA’s Warrior Award, NSAI’s President’s Keystone Award, SESAC’s Visionary Award, Variety’s Variety500 and Morehouse College’s Candle Award.
Previous pre-Grammy Gala honorees include Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss, Clarence Avant, Irving Azoff, Martin Bandier, Sir Richard Branson, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Julie Greenwald & Craig Kallman, Debra L. Lee, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Rob Stringer.
Julie Greenwald, Atlantic Music Group chairman/CEO, and Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records chairman/CEO, will receive the 2023 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons award. The award will be presented at the Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. The annual event is presented jointly by industry legend Clive Davis and the Recording Academy.
This will be the first time since 2020 that the event will take place. Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer was announced as the recipient last year. He was scheduled to receive the award on Sun, Jan. 30, 2022, the night before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, but the event was canceled because of a surge related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grammys telecast itself was pushed back to April 3, 2022 and moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The award was presented to Stringer in Las Vegas by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. Stringer was also acknowledged as the Icon honoree on the Grammy Awards telecast. But he missed out on the gala.
The Recording Academy and Davis will celebrate Greenwald and Kallman’s accomplishments at this year’s event, set for the night before the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, which will return to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (formerly the Staples Center) on Feb. 5, 2023.
“Respected across the music community, Julie and Craig have fostered the careers of an incredible range of talent,” Mason said in a statement. “They both have a passion and love for music, and they are constantly pushing the music industry forward with their transformative work with the artist community. We are so honored to celebrate these two industry titans at this year’s Pre-Grammy Gala.”
“I’ve personally known Julie and Craig for many years and it’s so very exciting to celebrate their exceptional creativity and achievements at this year’s Pre-Grammy Gala,” said Davis, a previous honoree at this event. “What a special night it will be spotlighting them and their incredible music and artists!”
Greenwald and Kallman first joined forces in 2004, when Greenwald moved to Atlantic from Island Def Jam. Greenwald and Kallman will be the first pair to receive the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Honor since Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss, the co-founders of A&M Records.
In addition to Davis, Alpert & Moss and Stringer, the roster of previous Pre-Grammy Gala honorees includes Clarence Avant, Irving Azoff, Martin Bandier, Sir Richard Branson, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Debra L. Lee, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.
The recently formed Atlantic Music Group, which includes the Atlantic and 300 Elektra label families, garnered nearly 40 Grammy nominations this year. Its top nominees this year include Lizzo, with five nods, including album, record and song of the year; Coldplay and Jack Harlow, with three nods each; and GAYLE with a nod for song of the year.
The Atlantic Records site has a list of nearly 200 “active artists” for its various labels, including Big Beat Records, Canvasback, Elektra Records, Fueled By Ramen, Maybach Music Group, and Roadrunner Records.
The site also lists more than 60 “legacy artists” and six Broadway cast albums, including the blockbusters Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen.
Atlantic Records is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The label was founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. In 1967, Atlantic became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group. In 2004, Atlantic and its sister label Elektra were merged into the Atlantic Records Group.
The invitation-only Pre-Grammy Gala has become one of the most exclusive Grammy Week events. Sometimes, the event makes news, as it did three years ago when Combs put the Recording Academy on notice that he wanted to see major changes in the way it operated.
“Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys,” Combs noted in his acceptance speech. “Black music has never been respected by the Grammys to the point that it should be … And that stops right now. I’m officially starting the clock. You’ve got 365 days to get this sh-t together. We need transparency, we need diversity.”
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