SANTA MONICA, CA. (Top40 Charts/ GRAMMY Foundation) - The GRAMMY Foundation today announced that the 10th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Luncheon & Scholarship Presentation will be held on Friday, Feb. 8 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills with president & CEO of AEG Timothy J. Leiweke as keynote speaker. The ELI Luncheon is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week, a celebration that culminates with the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 10 and scheduled to be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
"Tim Leiweke is a leader in shaping the entertainment industry around the globe. We are honored that this visionary and dynamic executive will offer his unique insight and perspective on the shifting musical landscape in his keynote address at this year's annual ELI Luncheon," said President/CEO of The Recording Academy and President of the GRAMMY Foundation Neil Portnow. "In addition to his active support of our own MusiCares Foundation through his service as a Board member, he is also a significant and respected partner of The Academy through our long-term presentation of the GRAMMY Awards at AEG's STAPLES Center and the forthcoming GRAMMY Museum opening next fall at their L.A. Live campus. This significant GRAMMY Foundation event during GRAMMY Week provides a unique opportunity to bring promising entertainment law students and seasoned professionals together."
Leiweke serves as President & CEO of AEG, a collection of companies owned and/or operated by the organization considered to be one of the world's leading presenters of sports and entertainment programming. Now in his twelfth year with the organization, and recently selected by the Los Angeles Times as one of the 100 most influential people in southern California, Leiweke has acquired or merged more than 50 divisions and companies whose alliances create a global live entertainment organization capable of developing, producing, promoting, marketing and managing sports and entertainment programming in both facilities owned and operated by AEG such as STAPLES Center and NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live (Los Angeles); Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.); the Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.); Prudential Center (Newark, NJ); and The O2 (a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London which includes a 20,000 seat arena, Club Indigo, and the O2 Bubble, the current home of the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit for one year which began in November, 2007) and over 650,000 square feet of leisure and entertainment use.
The luncheon will also honor legendary entertainment attorney David A. Braun with the Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award. The honor is awarded to an attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing and supporting the music community through service. Mr. Braun practiced law for more than 50 years and is a published author and educator. A native of New York City, he began his career as a litigator, then moved on to represent clients such as the Band, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Brian Wilson.
Established in 1998 to recognize and further the connection between the legal profession and the recording community, the GRAMMY Foundation's ELI program seeks to address legal issues confronting the music industry. Past ELI keynote speakers include Edgar Bronfman Jr., chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group; Clive Davis, chairman of the RCA Music Group; U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch; Zachary I. Horowitz, Universal Music Group's President and Chief Operating Officer; Andrew Lack, chairman and CEO of Sony BMG Music Entertainment; Eric L. Nicoli, former EMI Group chairman; Richard Parsons, former CEO and current chairman of AOL Time Warner; Jack Valenti, past president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America; and Strauss Zelnick, former CEO and president of BMG Entertainment.
One of the premier annual educational activities of the initiative is the national legal writing contest and scholarship program, which is co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. Law students from across the country are invited to research, analyze and submit 3,000-word essays on important issues facing the entertainment community. Past award-winning topics have featured issues germane and timely to the music industry, including bootlegging, music sampling and litigation against peer-to-peer network users.
At the ELI Luncheon, a 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, all ELI finalists' papers will be published in a major legal journal and each winner will receive airfare, hotel accommodations, and a ticket to the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast as well as invitations to other GRAMMY Week activities.
The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture - from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music professionals. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. For more information, please visit www.grammyfoundation.com.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, 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. In its 50th year, 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.
