Latest news with #PersonsoftheYear
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MusiCares Executive Director Laura Segura Leaves Post in Sudden Departure
Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, the Recording Academy's charity-focused partner organization, has departed from her post after five years in the role, according to the Recording Academy's website and an email sent to staff by CEO Harvey Mason Jr. The abruptness, wording and timing of the announcement, which was sent to staff over the Memorial Day holiday — a common time for burying news — and the Academy's lack of response to press inquiries suggests a less-than-smooth departure. The memo announced a 'key leadership transition' and stated that Segura is 'no longer with MusiCares.' It continued that Theresa Wolters, who is the organization's head of health and human services, 'is stepping into the role of interim executive director.' The change is reflected in the MusiCares website, which no longer includes Segura's name and lists Wolters as 'interim' executive director. Reps for the Recording Academy did not respond to Variety's requests for further information over the weekend; Billboard first reported the news on Saturday. More from Variety No Fakes Act Reintroduced in Congress With Support From Google, RIAA, More Music Industry Moves: Kendrick Lamar Collaborator MTech Inks Deal With Sony Music Publishing Grateful Dead's MusiCares Salute Is Heavy on Gratitude, as All-Star Cast Shares the Lovefest With Bob Weir and Mickey Hart MusiCares, which was founded in 1989 an independent 501(c)(3) charity, has paid out well over $100 million in relief to musicians and music executives over the years, including more than $30 million in COVID relief to the music community during the pandemic and $10 million in Los Angeles wildfire relief earlier this year. Additionally, $16 million was raised by MusiCares and the Recording Academy during Grammy weekend via its Fire Relief campaign and its annual Persons of the Year gala, which honored the Grateful Dead. Segura spoke of the organization's efforts at the event. However, along with its admirable service to the music community, the organization's top role has been troubled in recent years. Segura's predecessor, Dana Tomarken, was abruptly fired in April of 2018 after 25 years with the Academy, resulting in her filing a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the Academy. The lawsuit included a withering 4,500-word letter Tomarken wrote to the Academy's Board of Trustees that essentially said she was being blamed for the financial losses the Academy took in holding the Grammy Awards in New York that year, rather than its usual home base of Los Angeles. She accused former chairman/president Neil Portnow of brokering a deal without her knowledge to hold the organization's annual Person of the Year event at a venue that left the charity with a significant loss in its fundraising efforts, after she had made arrangements to hold the event at a competing venue. The Grammy Awards were held in New York that year for the first time since 2003, leading to a $5 million shortfall for the show, which Tomarken claimed Portnow attempted to cover by steering funds away from MusiCares. She also accused Portnow of running a 'boys' club' and said she was terminated 'after a painful year of trying to protect MusiCares from being exploited, enduring ongoing instances of workplace abuse and harassment' from two male coworkers whom she named in the letter. Portnow and the Academy denied any wrongdoing; the lawsuit was settled out of court in November of 2019. Her departure left MusiCares without an official leader when the pandemic began just four months later, but Mason and MusiCares chair/Amazon Music chief Steve Boom took the reins and began distributing relief money almost immediately. Segura was named executive director in May of 2020; she had been the Recording Academy's vice president of membership and industry relations for the previous seven years. Variety will have more on the situation as it develops. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Zawya
06-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Rajoelina, Nabbanja, Kikwete, Others to Headline the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Ceremony, Morocco 2025
The African Leadership Magazine (ALM) ( is proud to announce that the 14th edition of the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year (POTY) Ceremony will be headlined by a distinguished lineup of African leaders, including H.E. Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar; Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda; and H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania. The highly anticipated event is scheduled to take place from February 21-22, 2025, at the Casablanca Marriott Hotel, Morocco. President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar alongside HE Dr Jakaya Kikwete will deliver the keynote address on 'Inclusive Leadership for an Interconnected Africa: New Paradigms for Future Realities,' according to Dr Ken Giami, CEO of the African Leadership Organisation. As Chair of the African Leadership Magazine Advisory Board, former President Jakaya Kikwete will steer the event, guiding high-level discussions on Africa's leadership and development. His extensive experience in governance, diplomacy, and regional collaboration will offer invaluable perspectives on shaping the future of African leadership. Now in its 14th year, the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Ceremony continues to be the premier annual event for honouring and celebrating people-centred leadership and Africans who are pursuing a pan-African agenda in their chosen fields of endeavour, bringing together policymakers, private sector leaders, thought leaders, and stakeholders from across Africa and the globe. The 2025 edition is expected to attract over 400 in-person delegates, with online streaming reaching thousands of followers across the magazine's social media platforms. The event serves as a unique platform for networking, collaboration, and dialogue, fostering innovative solutions to Africa's most pressing challenges, all aimed at advancing a prosperous and sustainable future for the continent. The event will also feature distinguished guests including H.E. Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, Nigeria; Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, Uganda's Minister for Health; H.E. Fardowsa Osman Egal, Somalia's Minister for Transport&Civil Aviation; Hon. Nani Juwara, Minister of Petroleum, Energy&Mines, The Gambia; H.E. Rindra Rabarinirinarison, Madagascar's Minister of Economy and Finance; Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Liberia's Minister of Finance and Development Planning; Hon. Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, Former Minister of Minerals and Energy, Botswana; Dr. Armstrong Takang, Managing Director of Nigeria's Ministry of Finance Incorporated; and Mr. Mustafa Y. Shek, Director General of Somalia's National Communication Authority. Notable private sector leaders will include Dr. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, Executive Chairman of Moni Polu Limited, Nigeria; Mr. Jemal Ahmed, CEO of Midroc Investment Group, Ethiopia; Olusegun Alebiosu, Managing Director/CEO of FirstBank Group, Nigeria; Mr. Israel Degfa, President of Kerchanshe Trading PLC, Ethiopia; Amb. Ny Rado Rafalimanana, President&Founder of Nyrado Group Madagascar S.A; and Osvaldo Lemos Macaia, CEO of Banco Sol, Angola, among other business, diplomatic, and industry leaders from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Madagascar, Angola, Uganda, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Congo, Cape Verde, Botswana, South Africa, and Kenya. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Leadership Magazine. For media inquiries and event participation, please contact: Ehis Ayere Group General Manager African Leadership Organization Email: info@ About African Leadership Magazine: The African Leadership Magazine, published by the African Leadership Organization (UK), is dedicated to showcasing Africa's best leaders, telling the continent's story from an African perspective, and crafting solutions for its challenges. For the past 16 years, ALM has been at the forefront of promoting impactful leadership across Africa while creating opportunities for global collaboration, providing insightful content, facilitating trade, and offering consulting services in the public sector.
Nahar Net
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
How the Los Angeles wildfires will transform the 2025 Grammys
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 January 2025, 16:20 The Grammy Awards will look a little bit different this week. Each year, the Recording Academy hosts a multitude of events to welcome the music industry during Grammy week and record labels do the same. However, many institutions have canceled their plans — Universal Music Group, Sony, Spotify, BMG and Warner Music Group among them — and instead are allocating resources to help those affected by the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires. The Grammys will still take place on Sunday at the Arena in Los Angeles but now will focus its attention on helping wildfire victims. How will Grammy week differ in 2025? Within days of fires ravaging the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, the Recording Academy and its affiliated MusiCares charity launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort with a $1 million dollar donation. According to a letter sent to members on Jan. 13, thanks to additional contributions, they've already distributed $2 million in emergency aid. Once the fund was set up, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said they began focusing on reformatting what Grammy week would look like — many conversations conducted "on the road, mobile-y, virtually" as staffers had evacuated their homes. "That process has really consisted of reaching out to just listen and learn from a lot of people — state officials, local officials, the governor's office, the mayor's office, the fire department. We talked to hotel managers, just really trying to get a grasp on what was happening currently. What did they project was going to happen in the next week to 10 days? Would be safe to have a show?" Ultimately, the Recording Academy decided to condense its pre-Grammy week plans to just four events, each featuring a fundraising element. On Friday, MusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, will hold its annual Persons of the Year benefit gala celebrating the Grateful Dead. On Saturday, the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Grammy nominees' reception will still take place, followed by Clive Davis' pre-Grammy fundraising event. Then the Grammys take the stage on Sunday. Events like the annual pre-Grammy Black Music Collective event, Grammy advocacy brunch, and others scheduled to take place at the immersive pop-up Grammy house have been canceled. "We thought consolidating the events would allow us to have more impact," Mason explains. "And we just don't feel it was the right time to have social gatherings or places to party or schmooze and just hang out. We wanted to have our events be places that could be purposeful and impactful. Some of the party settings, we decided to fold down into our fundraising efforts." How has the Grammy award show been reformatted? "Obviously, we can't have a normal show in the midst of people's belongings being burned or loss of life or other things like that. At the same time, canceling would not have helped," Mason says. "We needed to raise money. We needed to show unity and come together around music. We need to support the city of L.A. (Over) 6,500 people work on our shows and ancillary gatherings. So, once we decided to move forward, it was really a conversation with (Grammy producers) Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins and myself. And we started to think about, 'How do we make the show have the greatest impact?'" They decided the path forward was to still give out awards and host performances to give viewers and attendees a bespoke concert experience. But most importantly, the show could raise awareness, drive donations and resources to funds that benefit people in need. And the conversations are ongoing. "We have some great things in the show that will definitely help to raise funds," he assures. "It will honor some of the heroes that have been protecting our lives and our homes. It will hopefully shine a light on some people that need more help and more services." Don't expect a traditional telethon, but he says the show will feature announcements and activations in the arena. "Hopefully we'll be talking about things that have been pledged from the sponsors or from the community," he adds. How many Recording Academy members were affected by the fires? "We know right off the bat that we've got almost 3,000 requests for help from our members or people in the music community," Mason says. "So that was just in the first few days." The immediate needs have been "the basics," as he explains. "Food, water, shelter, the bare necessities to live." "The next phase will involve, you know, where they're going to live, how are they going to replace maybe damaged or destroyed instruments, studios. How will they make a living? I'm sure there'll be some mental health component that people may need assistance with. But it's really across the board. But the early, immediate relief is around just the bare necessities." Has anything like this happened before? There's no shortage of natural disasters, and they affect the music community too. Mason brings up the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent example. With MusiCares, they were able to contribute "over $40 million to people who needed help." They have the infrastructure to provide assistance quickly. However, he notes, the Grammys are the first major award show taking place after the wildfires, which means "there's no playbook for this." "But I've always said it all changes if the fires were to continue, or possibly got worse, or the winds changed. So, I always want to reserve that right. We're not going to go blindly forward if things are unsafe or if it feels inappropriate," he says. But consider the fundraising, the economic and financial impacts, and the possibility of unity, "It all makes sense for us to move forward."
Arab Times
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
How the LA wildfires will transform the 2025 Grammys
LOS ANGELES, Jan 28, (AP): The Grammy Awards will look a little bit different this week. Each year, the Recording Academy hosts a multitude of events to welcome the music industry during Grammy week and record labels do the same. However, many institutions have canceled their plans - Universal Music Group, Sony, Spotify, BMG and Warner Music Group among them - and instead are allocating resources to help those affected by the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires. The Grammys will still take place on Sunday at the Arena in Los Angeles but now will focus its attention on helping wildfire victims. Within days of fires ravaging the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, the Recording Academy and its affiliated MusiCares charity launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort with a $1 million dollar donation. According to a letter sent to members on Jan. 13, thanks to additional contributions, they've already distributed $2 million in emergency aid. Once the fund was set up, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said they began focusing on reformatting what Grammy week would look like - many conversations conducted "on the road, mobile-y, virtually' as staffers had evacuated their homes. "That process has really consisted of reaching out to just listen and learn from a lot of people - state officials, local officials, the governor's office, the mayor's office, the fire department. We talked to hotel managers, just really trying to get a grasp on what was happening currently. What did they project was going to happen in the next week to 10 days? Would be safe to have a show?" Ultimately, the Recording Academy decided to condense its pre-Grammy week plans to just four events, each featuring a fundraising element. On Friday, MusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, will hold its annual Persons of the Year benefit gala celebrating the Grateful Dead. On Saturday, the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Grammy nominees' reception will still take place, followed by Clive Davis' pre-Grammy fundraising event. Then the Grammys take the stage on Sunday. Events like the annual pre-Grammy Black Music Collective event, Grammy advocacy brunch, and others scheduled to take place at the immersive pop-up Grammy house have been canceled. "We thought consolidating the events would allow us to have more impact,' Mason explains. "And we just don't feel it was the right time to have social gatherings or places to party or schmooze and just hang out. We wanted to have our events be places that could be purposeful and impactful. Some of the party settings, we decided to fold down into our fundraising efforts.' "Obviously, we can't have a normal show in the midst of people's belongings being burned or loss of life or other things like that. At the same time, canceling would not have helped,' Mason says. "We needed to raise money. We needed to show unity and come together around music. We need to support the city of L.A. (Over) 6,500 people work on our shows and ancillary gatherings. So, once we decided to move forward, it was really a conversation with (Grammy producers) Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins and myself. And we started to think about, 'How do we make the show have the greatest impact?'' They decided the path forward was to still give out awards and host performances to give viewers and attendees a bespoke concert experience. But most importantly, the show could raise awareness, drive donations and resources to funds that benefit people in need. And the conversations are ongoing. "We have some great things in the show that will definitely help to raise funds," he assures. "It will honor some of the heroes that have been protecting our lives and our homes. It will hopefully shine a light on some people that need more help and more services.' Don't expect a traditional telethon, but he says the show will feature announcements and activations in the arena. "Hopefully we'll be talking about things that have been pledged from the sponsors or from the community,' he adds. "We know right off the bat that we've got almost 3,000 requests for help from our members or people in the music community,' Mason says. "So that was just in the first few days.' The immediate needs have been "the basics,' as he explains. "Food, water, shelter, the bare necessities to live.' "The next phase will involve, you know, where they're going to live, how are they going to replace maybe damaged or destroyed instruments, studios. How will they make a living? I'm sure there'll be some mental health component that people may need assistance with. But it's really across the board. But the early, immediate relief is around just the bare necessities.' There's no shortage of natural disasters, and they affect the music community too. Mason brings up the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent example. With MusiCares, they were able to contribute "over $40 million to people who needed help.' They have the infrastructure to provide assistance quickly. However, he notes, the Grammys are the first major award show taking place after the wildfires, which means "there's no playbook for this." "But I've always said it all changes if the fires were to continue, or possibly got worse, or the winds changed. So, I always want to reserve that right. We're not going to go blindly forward if things are unsafe or if it feels inappropriate," he says. But consider the fundraising, the economic and financial impacts, and the possibility of unity, "It all makes sense for us to move forward.'
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How the Los Angeles wildfires will transform the 2025 Grammys
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Grammy Awards will look a little bit different this week. Each year, the Recording Academy hosts a multitude of events to welcome the music industry during Grammy week and record labels do the same. However, many institutions have canceled their plans — Universal Music Group, Sony, Spotify, BMG and Warner Music Group among them — and instead are allocating resources to help those affected by the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires. The Grammys will still take place on Sunday at the Arena in Los Angeles but now will focus its attention on helping wildfire victims. How will Grammy week differ in 2025? Within days of fires ravaging the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, the Recording Academy and its affiliated MusiCares charity launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort with a $1 million dollar donation. According to a letter sent to members on Jan. 13, thanks to additional contributions, they've already distributed $2 million in emergency aid. Once the fund was set up, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said they began focusing on reformatting what Grammy week would look like — many conversations conducted 'on the road, mobile-y, virtually' as staffers had evacuated their homes. 'That process has really consisted of reaching out to just listen and learn from a lot of people — state officials, local officials, the governor's office, the mayor's office, the fire department. We talked to hotel managers, just really trying to get a grasp on what was happening currently. What did they project was going to happen in the next week to 10 days? Would be safe to have a show?" Ultimately, the Recording Academy decided to condense its pre-Grammy week plans to just four events, each featuring a fundraising element. On Friday, MusiCares, an organization that helps music professionals who need financial, personal or medical assistance, will hold its annual Persons of the Year benefit gala celebrating the Grateful Dead. On Saturday, the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Grammy nominees' reception will still take place, followed by Clive Davis' pre-Grammy fundraising event. Then the Grammys take the stage on Sunday. Events like the annual pre-Grammy Black Music Collective event, Grammy advocacy brunch, and others scheduled to take place at the immersive pop-up Grammy house have been canceled. 'We thought consolidating the events would allow us to have more impact,' Mason explains. 'And we just don't feel it was the right time to have social gatherings or places to party or schmooze and just hang out. We wanted to have our events be places that could be purposeful and impactful. Some of the party settings, we decided to fold down into our fundraising efforts.' How has the Grammy award show been reformatted? 'Obviously, we can't have a normal show in the midst of people's belongings being burned or loss of life or other things like that. At the same time, canceling would not have helped,' Mason says. 'We needed to raise money. We needed to show unity and come together around music. We need to support the city of L.A. (Over) 6,500 people work on our shows and ancillary gatherings. So, once we decided to move forward, it was really a conversation with (Grammy producers) Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins and myself. And we started to think about, 'How do we make the show have the greatest impact?'' They decided the path forward was to still give out awards and host performances to give viewers and attendees a bespoke concert experience. But most importantly, the show could raise awareness, drive donations and resources to funds that benefit people in need. And the conversations are ongoing. 'We have some great things in the show that will definitely help to raise funds," he assures. "It will honor some of the heroes that have been protecting our lives and our homes. It will hopefully shine a light on some people that need more help and more services.' Don't expect a traditional telethon, but he says the show will feature announcements and activations in the arena. 'Hopefully we'll be talking about things that have been pledged from the sponsors or from the community,' he adds. How many Recording Academy members were affected by the fires? 'We know right off the bat that we've got almost 3,000 requests for help from our members or people in the music community,' Mason says. 'So that was just in the first few days.' The immediate needs have been 'the basics,' as he explains. 'Food, water, shelter, the bare necessities to live.' 'The next phase will involve, you know, where they're going to live, how are they going to replace maybe damaged or destroyed instruments, studios. How will they make a living? I'm sure there'll be some mental health component that people may need assistance with. But it's really across the board. But the early, immediate relief is around just the bare necessities.' Has anything like this happened before? There's no shortage of natural disasters, and they affect the music community too. Mason brings up the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent example. With MusiCares, they were able to contribute 'over $40 million to people who needed help.' They have the infrastructure to provide assistance quickly. However, he notes, the Grammys are the first major award show taking place after the wildfires, which means 'there's no playbook for this." 'But I've always said it all changes if the fires were to continue, or possibly got worse, or the winds changed. So, I always want to reserve that right. We're not going to go blindly forward if things are unsafe or if it feels inappropriate," he says. But consider the fundraising, the economic and financial impacts, and the possibility of unity, 'It all makes sense for us to move forward.' ___ For more coverage of this year's Grammy Awards, visit: Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
