Recording Academy™ Announces Ken Ehrlich as Executive Producer of 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards®, and Names Ben Winston as New Executive Producer for 63rd GRAMMYs
Ehrlich to Celebrate His Milestone 40th GRAMMY® Telecast
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Recording Academy™ has announced that longtime producer/executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards® telecasts since 1980, Ken Ehrlich, will executive produce the upcoming 62nd GRAMMY Awards. The telecast, taking place in 2020, will mark Ehrlich’s milestone 40th anniversary. Over the last four decades, Ehrlich has organized some of music’s most iconic and memorable TV moments and “redefined the way we experience live music on television” (Los Angeles Times), turning Music’s Biggest Night® into the must-see music awards show every year.
Also announced today is that Emmy Award winner Ben Winston will become the sole executive producer for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards telecast in 2021.
“Ken’s imprint on the GRAMMY Awards and the music industry are well-known and represent the kind of work and vision that legends are made of,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “Having worked closely with Ken for almost half of his tenure with the show, I have seen first-hand the vision, extraordinary musical knowledge, and passion he brings to every minute of the process, and the spectacular results and memorable GRAMMY Moments that have been delivered. It’s an honor to celebrate his 40th anniversary with the GRAMMYs. I also recognize the wonderful opportunity ahead by bringing the immensely talented, innovative, and well-respected Ben Winston into the family, and we look forward to his enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach to presenting music on television.”
“It’s called ‘Music’s Biggest Night’ for a reason, and one of those reasons is Ken Ehrlich,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS. “Every musical artist from every genre wants to be known as a GRAMMY winner, but for the viewing audience, it is those once in a lifetime ‘GRAMMY Moments’ that are unforgettable—and we have Ken Ehrlich to thank for that. CBS is proud of and grateful for Ken’s creative leadership and partnership over the last 40 years. With the GRAMMYs’ rich history and foundation in place, we will pass the baton in 2021 to Ben Winston, one of the most creative producing voices in television today. The past is historic. The present is exciting. And the future is bright for this event on television.”
“To have been a part of the growth of the GRAMMY Awards into the preeminent music awards show of our time has been one of the highlights of my professional life, and I’m grateful to the Recording Academy and to our partners at CBS for their support and for trusting my vision over the past four decades,” said Ehrlich. “I have also been the happy recipient of having an incredible group of people who have worked on the show over the years, and of course the most amazing cadre of musical artists who bring their own creativity and brilliance to the GRAMMY stage year after year. I want to wish my successor Ben the best as he assumes the executive producer role. I am confident that his abilities in all aspects of production will both ensure the legacy of the GRAMMY Awards and also instill a new creative direction for the show.”
“It’s an absolute honor to be executive producer of the GRAMMYs for 2021,” said Winston. “I feel excitement and nerves in equal measure on taking on this role, but mostly I feel immense gratitude to the Recording Academy for this wonderful opportunity. I also want to salute Ken, who has done an absolutely remarkable job over the last 40 years.”
Ehrlich is the founder of AEG Ehrlich Ventures and produced his first GRAMMY Awards in 1980. His signature touch—incredible and unexpected pairings such as Eminem and Elton John, Prince and Beyoncé, and Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Walsh—helped make Music’s Biggest Night one of the most-watched entertainment specials in television history. In his almost 50 years as a producer, Ehrlich has created and worked on numerous award shows and live events, including the Emmy Awards, the MTV Movie Awards, and the Latin GRAMMY Awards®. He has also produced dozens of specials for broadcast and cable networks for artists including Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, John Legend, the Rolling Stones, and Justin Timberlake. Ehrlich directed the Las Vegas residencies of both Mariah Carey and Celine Dion and was honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Visionary Award in 2007.
Ben Winston, who will succeed Ehrlich, is a multifaceted producer, director, and writer with award-winning credits that span television, movies, music videos, and commercials. A six-time Emmy Award winner and a 22-time nominee, he has produced a multitude of shows including “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” co-created “Carpool Karaoke,” and “Drop The Mic” and has produced many music specials for artists such as Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber to name a few.
In the live event space, Winston was recently the executive producer for the Global Citizen Nelson Mandela 100 Concert in South Africa, with Beyoncé and Jay Z as headliners. He was a producer of the Brits awards three times and the Tony’s twice. In documentaries, he has produced a multitude of work including “In The Hands Of The Gods,” “I Am Bolt” and is a producer on the upcoming “Motown” movie for Showtime. Winston, who won the first-ever Emmys for Apple and Snapchat shows last year, also won a Brit award for Best Director of a music video, three years in a row. Ben Winston is a partner at production company Fulwell 73.
The 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, and will be broadcast live in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network.
ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards—music’s only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world’s leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, “like” Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy’s social communities on Instagram and YouTube.
Contacts
Recording Academy Contacts:
Lourdes Lopez Patton
310-392-3777
lourdes.lopez@recordingacademy.com
Andie Cox
310-392-3777
andie.cox@recordingacademy.com
CBS Press Contacts:
Kate Fisher
212-975-3818
khfisher@cbs.com
Julie Holland
818-655-1594
julie.holland@cbs.com
Sunshine Sachs Contacts:
Michael Samonte
323-822-9300
GRAMMYs@sunshinesachs.com
Paula Witt
212-691-2800
GRAMMYs@sunshinesachs.com
Rogers & Cowan Contact (For Ken Ehrlich):
Maureen O’Connor
310-854-8116
moconnor@rogersandcowan.com