Title, Premium and Supporting Sponsors Contribute to Successful Gala
Santa Monica, Calif. — The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® ninth annual celebration was held Thursday, Feb. 11, 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 help honor individuals who strive for audio excellence and, as described by Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow 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. The signature event also featured the presentation of The Recording Academy President's Merit Award, this year presented to multi-GRAMMY-winning producer Rick Rubin, who received the award to the applause of hundreds of P&E Wing members and other guests.
Title Sponsors included HARMAN® Professional brands AKG®, dbx®, JBL® Professional and Lexicon®, and Iron Mountain Entertainment Services. These brands are joined by Premier Sponsors Avid Technology, Inc.; DTS, Inc.; ELS Studio Premium Audio® - Powered by Panasonic; Google Chromecast Audio; LG Electronics; Music Marketing; Shure; and TIDAL HiFi Streaming. Supporting Sponsors included Apogee Electronics; Audeze; Audio-Technica; Capital Bauer Studio Insurance Program; Guitar Center Professional; iZotope; Louisiana Entertainment; Lurssen Mastering; Ocean Way Audio; Prism Sound, Recording, Radio and Film Connection (RRF); Shinola; SONOS; Sound Exchange; and Vintage King Audio. CÎROC™ Ultra-Premium Vodka toasted the night as official "Spirit Partner," offering innovative food-and-cocktail pairings – part of the "Ultimate Collaboration" between CÎROC and The Recording Academy, lasting throughout GRAMMY Week.
"This annual event is a highlight in the P&E Wing's yearly itinerary, and it wouldn't be possible without the support of our sponsors," stated Maureen Droney, The Recording Academy Managing Director, P&E Wing and Recording Technology. "The event provides our community with the acknowledgement it so deserves, and it is an honor that the top brands in the industry continue to support this event and this community of professionals."
Personnel from several of the sponsors also weighed in on the evening's festivities:
"Iron Mountain supports the P&E Wing year-round, in addition to the entire GRAMMY organization, including the GRAMMY Museum and the GRAMMY Foundation," said Jeff Anthony, Sr. Vice President, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services. "We are very proud of this partnership, because the constituents of the P&E Wing represent the backbone of the industry. Working with the P&E Wing gives us a platform to advise on, and advocate for, best practices in asset preservation and creative rights management. Once again, the event at Village Studios was a delight, and Iron Mountain is pleased to be an ongoing supporter of the P&E Wing and its membership."
Peter Chaikin, Recording Solutions, HARMAN Professional, stated, "The HARMAN Professional brands support the P&E Wing year-round, as the P&E Wing's goals and values are near and dear to the hearts of the HARMAN organization. This event at the Village Studios celebrates the accomplishments of the talented producing and engineering community, who are charting the current and future direction of the recording industry. We are honored to be able to contribute to this annual event and others throughout the year."
Rubin has received eight GRAMMY Awards, including two for Producer Of The Year for 2006 and 2008. His other wins include two for Album Of The Year (Adele, 21; Dixie Chicks, Taking The Long Way), two for Best Country Album (Taking The Long Way; Johnny Cash, Unchained), Record Of The Year (Dixie Chicks "Not Ready To Make Nice"), and Best Rock Album (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium). Producing critically acclaimed and multiplatinum albums in a wide array of genres, including country, hip-hop, metal, pop, rock, and soul, additional artists Rubin has worked with include the Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath, Neil Diamond, Eminem, Jay Z, Kid Rock, LL Cool J, Metallica, Tom Petty, Public Enemy, Damien Rice, Ed Sheeran, Slayer, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, and ZZ Top.
GRAMMY Week culminated with the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards® on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, airing on the CBS Television Network and available to affiliates nationwide to broadcast live in all four U.S. time zones for the first time.
Photo caption: Key personnel from sponsors of the 58th GRAMMY® Awards P&E Wing Event Honoring Rick Rubin at Village Studios on February 11, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Corey Walthall. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®.
