SANTA MONICA, CA. (The Recording Academy) - Warner
Music Group chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. will deliver the keynote address at the 7th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Luncheon & Scholarship Presentation on Feb. 11, 2005, at the Regent Beverly
Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, it was announced today by the GRAMMY Foundation.
The event begins at 11 a.m. and will feature live performances by special guest artists, in addition to the scholarship presentations. The ELI Luncheon is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week, a celebration that culminates with the 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
"The music industry benefits from Edgar's creativity and astute business acumen," said Neil Portnow, President of the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy. "He brings a valuable perspective that comes from experience within many different areas in our industry. We are so pleased that he has agreed to give the keynote address at this important Academy event."
Edgar Bronfman Jr. is chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group, the world's largest privately held independent music company and home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry. Warner Music Group also includes Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire operating through 37 affiliates and numerous licensees in more than 50 countries, and Warner/Chappell Music, a leading music publisher with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.
Before joining Warner Music Group, Bronfman served as chairman and CEO of Lexa Partners LLC, a management venture capital group based in New York City; executive vice chairman of Vivendi Universal; and president and CEO of the Seagram Company Ltd. During his tenure as CEO of Seagram, Bronfman consummated $85 billion in transactions and transformed the company into one of the world's leading media and communications companies.
Past ELI keynote speakers include Andrew Lack, chairman/CEO of Sony BMG Music Entertainment; Jack Valenti, past president/CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America; Richard Parsons, chairman of AOL Time Warner; Strauss Zelnick, former CEO/president of BMG Entertainment; Clive Davis, chairman of the RCA Music Group; and U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch.
Consisting of two main components, a writing competition and a luncheon, ELI invites law students to write a 3,000-word essay on a legal topic facing the music industry today. At the luncheon, a substantial cash scholarship of $5,000 will be awarded to the author of the winning paper, and $1,500 will be awarded to each of four runners-up. Additionally, the ELI finalists' papers will be published in a major legal journal and each winner will receive airfare, hotel accommodations, and a ticket to the 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, as well as invitations to other GRAMMY Week activities.
The GRAMMY Foundation's Entertainment Law Initiative was conceived in 1998 as a means to recognize and further develop the connection between the legal profession and the recording community with the goal of resolving issues confronting the music industry.
One of the premier educational initiatives of ELI is the national legal writing contest and scholarship program, which is co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. Law students from across the country have been invited to research, analyze and submit essays regarding important issues facing the entertainment industry.
