Accredited for her transformative leadership and impact on the music industry, Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), will be honored with the prestigious GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons award at the 50th anniversary of the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. The event, an official GRAMMY Week 2025 event hosted by the Recording Academy and Clive Davis, will take place Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton, on the night before the 2025 GRAMMYs.
GRAMMY Week is the Recording Academy‘s weeklong celebration comprising official GRAMMY Week events celebrating the music community and current GRAMMY nominees in the lead-up to the annual GRAMMY Awards. GRAMMY Week 2025 culminates with the 2025 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which take place live on Sunday, Feb. 2, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The 2025 GRAMMYs will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT. Prior to the telecast, the 2025 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will be held at the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on live.GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.
Learn more about Jody Gerson below:
As Chairman and CEO of UMPG, Gerson leads a global company with 48 offices in 40 countries and more than 850 employees. She is the first female chairman of a global music company and the first woman to be named CEO of a major music publisher. Since joining UMPG in 2015, Gerson has transformed the company into a global powerhouse that owns and administers more than five million copyrights and the industry’s best global home for songwriters.
A highly respected creative authority and thought leader in our culture, Gerson has signed and works with the world’s biggest superstars, including Adele, Bee Gees, Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Drake, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Elton John, Alicia Keys, Steve Lacy, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Maren Morris, the Prince estate, Rosalía, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, SZA, The Weeknd, and more. She also led UMPG’s historic and highly competitive acquisitions of the iconic catalogs of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Sting, and others.
As a champion for women in music and advocate for education, Gerson cofounded the global nonprofit She Is The Music. She also serves on Boards for the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Music Publishers Association, New Roads School, and Project Healthy Minds.
Gerson has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being the first woman and first music publishing executive named Billboard’s Executive of the Year for their Power 100 list in 2020. She has earned recognition from Variety, Rolling Stone, and the March of Dimes for her groundbreaking leadership and advocacy. Gerson also oversees Polygram Entertainment, UMPG’s film and television division, where she has executive-produced acclaimed projects such as Music Box: Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary, The Bee Gees: How to Mend a Broken Heart, and upcoming documentaries on Prince and Bernie Taupin.
The invitation-only Pre-GRAMMY Gala, sponsored by Hilton, Mastercard, and IBM, has long been one of the music industry’s most distinguished events. This year’s celebration will honor Gerson’s transformative contributions to music and the broader cultural landscape while commemorating the gala’s 50-year legacy of excellence.
“Jody is an inspirational leader who champions integrity and inclusivity in everything she does and is a revolutionary executive,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. “She has opened doors for and propelled the careers of many of the world’s greatest songwriters, while simultaneously serving as one of the biggest advocates for women in music. We are thrilled to host an extraordinary evening that not only celebrates her remarkable impact but also marks the gala’s incredible 50-year milestone.”
“Jody Gerson is one of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders, and I am thrilled that she will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honoree,” Clive Davis said in a statement. “Jody’s longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as her tireless dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have a leader with such tremendous insight and passion at the helm.”
