SANTA MONICA, CA (Recording Academy) - On Feb. 8, former chairman of Warner-Reprise Records, Mo Ostin will be honored by The Recording Academy at its GRAMMY Salute To
Industry Icons event. This exclusive reception - held at the Los Angeles Convention Center immediately following the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards - will feature a presentation of the President's Merit Award to Ostin in honor of his contribution to the landscape of modern music. The invitation-only event will be attended by prominent members of the music community.
"Mo Ostin is a true pioneer of the contemporary music era whose life's work has had a profound impact on the artists he has helped develop and the fans around the world who have benefited from their inspired creativity," said President of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow. "We are proud to pay homage to this amazing man and celebrate his incredible accomplishments as one of the most respected and revered executives in the music industry at our Salute To Industry Icons event."
Over three decades at the label, Ostin helped steer Warner-Reprise Records through a time of commercial success in an ever-changing musical landscape. Warner-Reprise often led the way thanks to Ostin's business-savvy and artist-oriented outlook. By the early 1970s, Warner Bros. and Reprise had become the "unofficial arbiters of musical taste" and paved the way for a haven of true artistic risk-taking.
Under Ostin's leadership, Warner Bros. and its affiliated labels were able to launch and further the careers of visionary artists such as Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band, Ry Cooder, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendix, the Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Randy Newman, James Taylor, Neil Young and Frank Zappa. Some of Paul Simon's best work, including his masterpiece Graceland, came after Ostin encouraged him to move to Warner Bros.
Ostin retired as chairman of Warner Bros. Records in 1995 and later moved to Dreamworks where he implemented the strategy of signing artists with merit and patiently building their careers. Fellow executives refer to Ostin as one of the pioneers who invented the ground rules for the music business. Ostin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on Feb. 8 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
