The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® 13th Annual GRAMMY Week® Celebration took place on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles. Reprising once again what has become a highly anticipated event that marks the official start of GRAMMY Week, representatives from a large range of top manufacturers, services and organizations pledged their support for the event and were in attendance to honor individuals who strive for audio excellence and who have championed creative freedom throughout their career.
The event is focused on the irreplaceable contributions made by recording, mixing and mastering engineers and record producers whose technical expertise and creative brilliance earn these professionals working behind the glass GRAMMY Awards® and nominations of their own. This special evening also featured the presentation of the President's Merit Award to Dr. Dre, recognizing both his commitment to creative and sonic excellence and his ongoing support for the art and craft of recorded music.
The event was sponsored by leading companies and organizations from the entertainment and music sector. Iron Mountain Entertainment Services served as Premier Sponsor for the event. Iron Mountain's involvement is an extension of its ongoing year-round partnership with the P&E Wing. Other industry supporters of the gala evening included Amazon Music HD; Jaxsta and Shure; Music Marketing (represented brands: Celemony, FabFilter, NUGEN Audio); L-Acoustics; Audio-Technica U.S.; Fraunhofer USA; SoundExchange; iZotope; AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund; Lurssen Mastering; Roland Corporation U.S.; Genelec; and Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services' The Recording Studio Insurance Program.
Personnel from several of the sponsors weighed in on the evening's festivities:
Lance Podell, senior vice president and general manager, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services, remarked, "The P&E Wing celebration of the intersection of art and technology in the music industry is a unique gathering of the industry's true royalty. It was an honor to share the evening with so many we admire. These icons have created the decades of music history Iron Mountain Entertainment Services preserves to ensure generations to come share equally in the pure joy of music."
"It was inspiring to connect with such a talented group of professionals who are so proficient in both the art and the technology of music making," added Scott Sugden, L-Acoustics product and technology outreach manager. "Our 35-year heritage in the live pro audio space has been dedicated to enabling artists to give audiences the best possible experience. It was clear that these visionaries behind the records have exactly the same approach to their collaboration with leading artists.”
"It is a yearly highlight to gather with our industry friends at the Village Studios to kick off GRAMMY Week," stated Maureen Droney, Recording Academy Sr. Managing Director, Producers & Engineers Wing. "Each year, we explore new ways to make our event special and one-of-a-kind, and we wouldn't be able to do that without the support of our loyal sponsor partners. We offer our sincere thanks to them for helping make this year's event one of the best ever."
