AT THE GRAMMYS ON THE HILL® AWARDS ON APRIL 15
Advocacy Day for Music Makers Will Take Place on Capitol Hill April 16
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 23, 2015) – Music and politics unite at The Recording Academy®‘s 2015 GRAMMYs on the Hill® Awards where GRAMMY®-winning artist/songwriter/producer Alicia Keys will be presented with the Recording Artists’ Coalition® Award (named for the artists’ rights program founded by Don Henley and Sheryl Crow), while House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) will also be honored for their support and understanding of music creators’ unique role in American life.
Known as “Washington’s most interesting mix of music and politics,” the event takes place on Wednesday, April 15, at the Hamilton Live in Washington D.C., and will include one-of-a-kind live performances.
The GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards are sponsored by SESAC, and proceeds from the event will benefit the GRAMMY Foundation®‘s GRAMMY Signature Schools program, which provides support for underserved music programs throughout the country.
“We are proud to honor Alicia Keys for her artistry, philanthropy and her passion for creators’ rights as a founding member of The Academy’s brand-new GRAMMY Creators Alliance, ” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. ”We know that she will bring the same dedication to creators’ rights as she does to her global philanthropic efforts.”
Portnow added, “The Academy is also pleased to honor House leaders Goodlatte and Nadler for their unflagging support of intellectual property, and we look forward to another incredible evening in our nation’s capital.”
The high-profile celebration will be emceed by five-time GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes. Among other members of the recording and entertainment industries set to attend will be GRAMMY-winning R&B and pop producer Rodney Jerkins; Texas based singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen; GRAMMY-nominated rock singer/songwriter Eddie Money; GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Ray Parker Jr.; and GRAMMY-winning jazz and gospel saxophonist Kirk Whalum, in addition to numerous Washington luminaries and policymakers. The celebration will begin with a cocktail reception and dinner, followed by the awards presentation.
GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day — April 16
The day after the awards ceremony, The Recording Academy will host GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day, which hundreds of music professionals from across the country will visit with lawmakers to advance policies that improve the environment for American music. Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the program is the music community’s largest annual advocacy day in Washington, D.C.
For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy’s Advocacy social networks on Twitter (@GRAMMYAdvocacy) and Facebook.
About Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys is a 15-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter/producer, an accomplished actress, a New York Times best-selling author, an entrepreneur, and a powerful force in the world of philanthropy and in the global fight against HIV and AIDS.
As a devoted and influential activist, Keys co-founded Keep a Child Alive (KCA), a nonprofit organization that partners with grass-roots organizations to combat the physical, social, and economic impact of HIV on children, their families and their communities in Africa and India. KCA currently provides financial and programmatic support to nine innovative, community-based responses in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and India. Since 2003, KCA has raised more than $50 million and their work has directly impacted the lives of more than 300,000 people.
In September 2014, Keys launched We Are Here, a movement that empowers the global community around a host of issues and initiatives, building a better world where all people are heard, respected, equal, and treated with dignity.
Last May, at a GRAMMY FutureNow event in New York, Keys announced her latest mission to advocate on behalf of her fellow music creators. In February 2015, she became a founding member of the GRAMMY Creators Alliance, which was established to help today’s leading artists, songwriters and studio professionals be a powerful voice in shaping music’s future.
Keys is currently in the studio working on her highly anticipated sixth studio album.
About Rep. Bob Goodlatte
Bob Goodlatte represents the 6th congressional district of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. During his time in Congress, Goodlatte has made a name for himself as a leader on Internet and high-tech issues.
In the 114th Congress, he was elected to serve a second term as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues such as patents, copyright, trademark law, antitrust matters, and the Internet. In addition to serving in this role, he is the co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus and the Congressional International Creativity and Theft Prevention Caucus as well as Chairman of the House Republican Technology Working Group.
Leading a multi-year review of the Copyright Act, Goodlatte has proven himself to be an honest broker who seeks to solve complex issues by seeking consensus. His efforts have illuminated the critical need to update the music licensing landscape.
About Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Jerrold Nadler represents the 10th congressional district of New York, which includes much of the West Side of Manhattan, the financial district and a number of diverse neighborhoods in southwestern Brooklyn. The second-most senior member on the House Judiciary Committee, Nadler served as chairman or ranking member of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties for 13 years and now serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. He is also the highest-ranking Northeastern member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and an Assistant Democratic Whip.
Given his Judiciary Committee roles, Nadler is a key leader in the committee’s multiyear review of music licensing laws. Nadler has shown a particular interest in solving legislative issues for music creators, stating his intent to introduce far-reaching legislation — which would advocate for fair compensation for all music creators across all platforms — and delivering a passionate speech about the importance of this issue this past February at the GRAMMY Foundation’s Entertainment Law Initiative luncheon held during GRAMMY week.
Nadler began his political career in 1976 in the New York State Assembly, where he served for 16 years. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and was re-elected to his 12th full term in 2014, receiving a resounding 88 percent of the vote.
About The Recording Academy
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.
For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like “The GRAMMYs” on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs’ social communities on, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.
