Clive Davis and The Recording Academy Present the Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Clive Davis and The Recording Academy will present the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening before the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Sponsored by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyundai, JBL, and MasterCard Worldwide, this invitation-only, VIP event will feature special musical performances and will be attended by prominent artists and industry leaders. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

As part of the evening's celebration, the 2015 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons will honor Sony/ATV Music Publishing Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier. The Recording Academy will present Bandier with the President's Merit Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the music industry and his numerous philanthropic endeavors. Past recipients include Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Sir Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, and Antonio "L.A." Reid.

"For seven years now, it's been a pleasure to partner with the legendary Clive Davis to present our annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala, a memorable evening complete with unique and exciting performances that serves as an appropriate kickoff to Music's Biggest Night," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "This year, we are especially proud to honor our first music publishing industry icon, Martin Bandier - a luminary whose passion, vision and innovation, combined with his championing some of the world's greatest songwriters and his tireless work to maximize the value of musical compositions, has helped to shape our musical landscape for decades."

Bandier's involvement in the music industry began in 1975, when he co-founded The Entertainment Company, achieving hits with a number of best-selling songs. He went on to co-found the Entertainment Music Company and SBK Entertainment World, where he modernized music publishing by expanding the use of SBK's catalog in commercials, films, sound recordings, and stage productions. SBK sold its music publishing interests to Thorn EMI in 1989, and Bandier was appointed head of the combined music publishing division, EMI Music Publishing. He catapulted the company to new heights with a number of major catalog acquisitions, taking it from the fourth largest music publishing business to number one.

Bandier assumed the position of chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2007, and oversees its global music publishing activities, including talent and copyright acquisitions, day-to-day operations, and the development and implementation of the company's long-term strategic initiatives. In this role he stands as a passionate advocate for songwriting rights, leading the industry fight for fair-market royalty rates.

Bandier's move to Sony/ATV matched one of the most renowned music publishing executives in the industry with the company that controls some of its most valuable catalog assets and popular current artists and writers. The Sony/ATV catalogs include some of the biggest names in music, including the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Kraftwerk, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Richie Sambora, Sting, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists, writers and producers includes Akon, Avicii, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, P!nk, RedOne, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Stargate, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

Within months of joining Sony/ATV, Bandier negotiated the acquisition of the Famous Music catalog from Viacom, which was widely considered one of the world's largest and most sought-after music catalogs. In November 2011, Bandier was instrumental in negotiating the acquisition of EMI Music Publishing by Sony Corporation of America and an investor group, for which Sony/ATV administers the EMI catalog. The acquisition was a professional and personal milestone, as Bandier ran EMI Music Publishing for more than 17 years.

Bandier's many civic and industry commitments include membership on the boards of the City of Hope, ASCAP, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the National Music Publishers Association, where he is vice president of the board of directors. He also serves as a trustee of the T.J. Martell Foundation. In September 2008, the MusiCares Foundation elected Bandier to its Board of Directors. In June 2003, Bandier was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as the Patron of the Arts Award recipient. In 2007, Sony/ATV won Nashville's "triple crown," an unprecedented and historic achievement in music publishing with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC each naming Sony/ATV its publisher of the year. Since then, Sony/ATV has won both of the industry's top honors, the ASCAP Pop Publisher of the Year award and BMI Pop Publisher of the Year award on numerous occasions, including receiving both awards in 2014. Bandier is also a trustee of Syracuse University and a 1994 recipient of its highest alumni honor, the George Arents Award. In 2006 Bandier founded a music and entertainment industry degree program at Syracuse University, appropriately named The Bandier Program. Its first class graduated in 2011 and it was recently named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the 20 leading music schools of 2014.

Clive Davis began his career at Columbia Records where he was appointed president in 1967 and signed such legendary rock artists as Janis Joplin, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Earth, Wind & Fire. In 1974 Davis co-founded Arista Records where he signed Barry Manilow, Patti Smith and Whitney Houston and further developed the careers of the Kinks, the Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. His business ventures include forming LaFace Records in 1989 with Babyface and L.A. Reid, and creating Bad Boy Records in 1994 with Sean "Diddy" Combs. In 2000 J Records was born (in partnership with BMG) and emerged as a dominant force, producing the works of Alicia Keys and Maroon 5. Davis was then appointed chairman/CEO of BMG U.S. Label Group where he oversaw an expanded RCA Music Group, including J Records, RCA Records and Arista Records. After BMG and Sony Music merged, in 2008 Davis was appointed chief creative officer, Sony Music Worldwide, where he continues to nurture and develop talent. In 2000 Davis received the Trustees Award from The Recording Academy and was recognized with the President's Merit Award at the 2009 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons. As a humanitarian, Davis has made tireless efforts in the battle against AIDS, spearheading donations of millions of dollars for AIDS research. In 2002 the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music was created at his undergraduate alma mater, New York University. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School. His autobiography, The Soundtrack of My Life, published in 2013, has become the largest-selling book involving music in history.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards - the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.

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