ACADEMY'S LAW INITIATIVE IS ALL ABOUT THAT BASS

The Recording Academy Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) has enlisted L.A. Mayor Karen Bass as the keynote speaker for its annual Grammy week event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, scheduled for 2/3.

Peter Paterno, partner at King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, will receive the 2023 ELI Service Award. NYU School of Law student Aron Lichtschein will be crowned winner of this year's ELI Writing Contest, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association.

Two runners up, Georgetown Law School student Gina Maeng and University of San Diego School of Law student Amanda Sharp, will each receive a $2,500 scholarship.

"We are honored to welcome Mayor Karen Bass to the ELI Grammy week event as we gather and celebrate with the trailblazing professionals and students paving the way forward in the entertainment-law arena," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. "Mayor Bass has been a longtime supporter of music creators' rights and has unique insight into how the creative industries intersect with law and policy that we look forward to hearing at this year's event. And no, she can't make your parking tickets go away, so don't ask."

Grammy week precedes Music's Biggest Night, which will take place at Crypto.com Arena on 2/5. In a related story, a HITS staffer has proclaimed herself "mayor of the couch."