PRE-GRAMMY GALA GOES GAGA FOR GERSON

UMPG Chairman/CEO Jody Gerson will be the recipient of the 2025 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honor, which will be presented 2/1 during the annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton.

Gerson, who was been with UMPG since 2015, oversees more than 850 employees in nearly 50 offices. She is the first female chairman of a global music company and first female CEO of a major music publisher.

Her tenure has also encompassed oversight of Polygram Entertainment, which has used UMPG IP for films such as The Beach Boys; STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.; and Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It. Additionally, Gerson is the co-founder of the nonprofit She Is the Music.

“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," gushed Davis. "Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have a leader with such tremendous insight and passion at the helm.”

“She has opened doors for and propelled the careers of many of the world’s greatest songwriters while serving as one of the biggest advocates for women in music," added Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. "We are thrilled to host an extraordinary evening that not only celebrates Jody's remarkable impact but also marks the gala’s incredible 50-year milestone.”

Click here to see what HITS actually remembered from the 2024 edition of the event, which featured performances by Green Day, Jelly Roll, Noah Kahan, Mark Ronson and many others.