STARS TALK BIZ WITH D.C. BIGWIGS
On Wednesday (5/1) biz executives and Grammy-winning artists visited the White House to lobby top officials in President Joe Biden’s administration on some of the most pressing or difficult issues facing the industry, including the risks of AI and live-event ticketing systems.
Artists who participated in the Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day included Patti Austin, Lauren Daigle, J. Ivy, Mark Ronson and Leon Thomas III. The Recording Academy was represented by CEO Harvey Mason Jr., President Panos A. Panay, Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer Todd Dupler and Chair of the Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt.
Prior to the White House visit, members of the music community met with Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
Among the topics covered were protecting the image, likeness and voice of artists from AI fakery, legislative measures including the No AI FRAUD Act and the No FAKES Act and reforming the ticket marketplaces to better protect artists and fans through legislation, including the Fans First Act and the TICKET Act.
Grammys on the Hill events began on Tuesday with the Grammys on the Hill Awards, a celebration of music and advocacy. This year's gathering honored nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for their support of music creators. The awards were hosted by singer-actress Candiace Dillard Bassett and featured performances by Crow, Daigle, The War and Treaty, ARKAI and Dwan Hill.
The week will conclude tomorrow with the first Grammys on the Hill Future Forum, held in partnership with the Human Artistry Campaign. It will include panel discussions exploring the impact of AI on the music community.
At HITS, we’re just grateful for any intelligence we can gain, artificial or otherwise.
