Grammys on the Hill
Randy Travis, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA), and Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) will be honored at the 2025 Grammys on the Hill Awards. The event is being held on Tuesday (April 8) in Washington, D.C.
Travis, a seven-time Grammy winner and multiplatinum recording artist, is being recognized for his work championing fair compensation and protections for artists in the digital age. In 2024, he testified on Capitol Hill in support of the American Music Fairness Act, which aims to ensure artists are fairly compensated when their songs air on AM/FM radio. He is also committed to promoting the ethical use of AI.
“At this point in my life, I am fully focused on living and giving back,” Travis said in a statement. “I’ve been part of the music community my whole life, professionally for 40 years. I am passionate about advocating to keep music an honest pursuit of art and human expression. While I remain excited about new, cutting-edge technologies, we must protect, and fairly compensate, the creative minds that give us the music—and art—that feeds our souls.”
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Travis, 65, has amassed 16 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart and five No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
Representatives Sánchez and Estes are being honored for their leadership in championing policies that empower and protect musicians. Together, they re-introduced the HITS Act in Congress in January 2025 to advance tax reforms to ensure independent music creators can thrive.
The Grammys on the Hill Awards are just the start of a three-day schedule of events hosted by the Recording Academy.
On Wednesday April 9, the Academy’s annual Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day will bring together Grammy winners and nominees, along with industry leaders, for meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss key legislative priorities impacting music creators.
On Thursday April 10, the Academy will hold its second annual Grammys on the Hill Future Forum, a conference exploring critical issues impacting the music community. The event will explore how to best build up music communities both locally and globally. Conversations will focus on the work state and local stakeholders are doing to develop and sustain music economies, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing new emerging music markets around the world.
“Grammys on the Hill plays a pivotal role in improving the lives of music creators, and we’re thrilled to see it evolve into a full week of advocacy, celebration and learning,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. “I’m excited to bring our music community and policymakers together in Washington—not just to celebrate the changemakers fighting for creators’ rights, but to unite and take action to improve the livelihoods of music people across the country.”
Since its inception in 2001, Grammys on the Hill has honored such artists as Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Pharrell Williams and Sheryl Crow. (See full list of artist honorees below.) The annual event has also recognized influential congressional leaders, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and former Speakers of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Grammys on the Hill has led to several legislative victories for the music industry, including the Music Modernization Act in 2018 and the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act in 2022. In 2024, the Academy helped pass five pro-music laws, supported 20 state and federal bills, and rallied more than 3,500 members to engage in music advocacy efforts across the country.
Here’s a complete list of previous artists who were honored at the Grammys on the Hill event:
2024 – Sheryl Crow
2023 – Pharrell Williams
2022 – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
2019 – Yolanda Adams and Kristin Chenoweth
2018 – Little Big Town
2017 – Keith Urban
2016 – Zac Brown Band
2015 – Alicia Keys
2014 – Lady A
2013 – Jennifer Hudson
2012 – John Mayer
2011 – Don Henley
2010 – Garth Brooks
2007 – Quincy Jones
2006 – Kelly Clarkson
2005 – Gloria Estefan
2004 – Natalie Cole
2003 – Martina McBride
2002 – Vince Gill
2001 – Missy Elliott
Sheryl Crow and Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) will be honored on April 30 when the Recording Academy hosts its annual Grammys on the Hill Awards. Hosted by singer/actress Candiace Dillard Bassett, the awards dinner will be held at the Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C., and feature live performances and special guests.
The event brings together congressional leaders and music makers to recognize those who have led the fight for creators’ rights.
“Protecting the rights of creators lies at the core of the Recording Academy’s mission,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “Grammys on the Hill is an opportunity to celebrate the artists and our nation’s leaders who champion this cause, and to acknowledge music’s unifying power.”
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“Receiving this award from Recording Academy is a tremendous honor for me, because protecting the rights of creators is more important now than ever before,” said Crow. “In this age where technology is changing the world faster than we can adapt, we need clear eyes to see both the opportunities and the challenges ahead, so that artists are not disadvantaged any more than they already are. Music nourishes our humanity, and I am proud to be recognized as an advocate for the protection of the people who make it.”
Crow has dedicated much of her life to activism. In 2000, she co-founded the Recording Artists’ Coalition with previous Grammys on the Hill honoree Don Henley to protect creators’ rights and change unfair industry practices. In 2009, the Recording Artists’ Coalition formed an alliance with the Recording Academy to continue its mission as a program within the Academy’s Advocacy office.
Recently, Crow has been vocal about the threat that AI presents to music creators, including on her new song “Evolution,” which grapples with the future impact of artificial intelligence on humanity and the planet.
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As a philanthropist, Crow is known for her support of multiple charities, including MusiCares, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The World Food Program, Feeding America, Adopt a Classroom, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Pelotonia and the Delta Children’s Home. A nine-time Grammy winner, Crow was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Sens. Cornyn and Klobuchar are being recognized for their support of creators and their collaborative efforts championing policies in support of the music community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the senators provided a lifeline for music through the Save Our Stages Act, which provided $16 billion in federal assistance to shuttered venues. That represents the largest federal investment in the arts in U.S. history.
In this Congress, they are working to reform live event ticketing through the Fans First Act. Introduced in December 2023, the legislation would address flaws in the ticketing marketplace.
The following day, May 1, the Recording Academy will host the annual Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day, which brings current and past Grammy winners and nominees, along with industry leaders, to meet with lawmakers to discuss issues facing today’s music creators. This year, music creators will convene with members of Congress to advance key issues that the Academy and its members continue to advocate for, including:
• Protecting the image, likeness and voice of individual creators from AI fakes through legislative measures such as the No AI FRAUD Act and the No FAKES Act discussion draft.
• Reforming the live event ticketing marketplace to better protect artists and fans through legislation including the Fans First Act and the TICKET Act.
For the first time, Grammys on the Hill is expanding beyond its long-time status as a two-day event. On May 3, the Grammys on the Hill Future Forum will be held in partnership with the Human Artistry Campaign and will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the music community.
Pharrell Williams was the honoree at the 2023 Grammys on The Hill Awards. Last year’s event also honored U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).
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