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THE RECORDING ACADEMY™ HONORS MUSIC AND ADVANCEMENTS IN POLICY IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ON APRIL 9
WASHINGTON, D.C. (MARCH 26, 2019) — On April 9, the Recording Academy™ will unite the worlds of music and politics at the annual GRAMMYs on the Hill® Awards. The Awards will honor four-time GRAMMY®-winning
gospel artist Yolanda Adams for her advocacy on behalf of fellow
creators and Tony- and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer Kristin
Chenoweth for her philanthropic contributions to the music community.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will also
be honored for their contributions to advance music creators' rights
and support legislation that protects the future of music.
"GRAMMYs on the Hill clearly has an impact and makes a difference,"
said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "It is no coincidence
that just one week after last year's Awards and Advocacy Day, the Music
Modernization Act unanimously passed the House of Representatives,
paving the way for the bill to later be signed into law. Through the
continued dialogue between music creators and Congress, we are ensuring a
viable future for music makers."
Adams will be honored with the Recording Academy's Creators
Leadership Award for decades of advocacy work supporting her fellow
artists and songwriters. Adams currently serves as the Recording Academy Texas Chapter President and is a consistent supporter of MusiCares®,
a charity founded by the Academy that provides a safety net of support
for the music community. She also works to help fight childhood cancer
with St. Jude and often performs charity concerts to support causes,
including Aspiring 2B A Better Me, a counseling/mentoring program by the
L.M. Foundation that helps families of domestic violence rebuild their
lives.
Chenoweth, whose talents span recorded music, musical theater, film,
and television, and who is a strong philanthropist in the music
community, is being honored with the GRAMMYs on the Hill Philanthropist
Award. Trained in opera, with a gospel music background, Chenoweth's
roles onscreen and onstage, as well as her albums, often showcase how
music can transcend audiences and genres. Chenoweth is a longtime
supporter of MusiCares, having performed at the 2011 MusiCares Person of
the Year tribute to Barbra Streisand. She also has a charity
partnership with the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center Foundation in
her home state of Oklahoma where she launched an annual Broadway Boot
Camp to provide Broadway hopefuls with an opportunity to take classes,
hold performances, and learn from top mentors in the entertainment
industry.
Grassley and Jeffries are the congressional honorees being recognized for their roles in the passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA).
As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018, Grassley led the
committee's vote that resulted in unanimous passage of the MMA.
Grassley sponsored and introduced the Allocation for Music Producers Act
(AMP Act), which was later folded into the MMA to recognize producers
in copyright law, and was one of the MMA's initial cosponsors. Jeffries
served on the House Judiciary Committee and was the lead cosponsor of
the MMA in the House of Representatives. Both members of Congress helped
achieve bipartisan support for the bill and met with members of the
music industry to understand the issues and ensure proper representation
within the legislation.
The awards dinner and show will take place at the Hamilton Live in
Washington, D.C., with live performances from the musical honorees and
additional special guests. The GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards are sponsored
by music rights organization SESAC.
The following day, April 10, the Recording Academy will host the
annual GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day, which brings current and past
GRAMMY winners and nominees, along with other esteemed industry leaders,
to meet with lawmakers to discuss issues facing today's music creators.
The day is recognized as Capitol Hill's largest and most prestigious
legislative event for music. Participants will acknowledge and thank
Congress for its support of the Music Modernization Act, and ask that
the work be continued to ensure fair compensation for artists,
songwriters, and producers on unresolved issues.
ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters,
producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring
the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural
heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its
future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of
music creators, supports music people in times of need through
MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards®—music's
only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's
leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a
more inspiring world for creators.
For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.
