16-TIME GRAMMY® WINNER DAVID FOSTER TO BE HONORED AT 2017 GRAMMY MUSEUM GALA Annual Dinner and Concert, Taking Place Sept. 19 at The Novo, Will Also Recognize Educator Nathan Strayhorn With 2017 Jane Ortner Education Award Proceeds Benefit the Museum's Music Education Initiatives; Performers to be Announced Soon

The GRAMMY Museum® is pleased to announce it will honor 16-time GRAMMY® Award winner David Foster at its third annual Gala, taking place Sept. 19 at The Novo in Los Angeles. Foster will receive the Architects of Sound Award in recognition of his unparalleled contributions to music. The benefit will support the Museum's newly expanded music education programs, which were integrated with those of its sister organization, the GRAMMY Foundation, earlier this year.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating such an influential talent and powerhouse music figure as David Foster for our first major fundraising event since integrating the GRAMMY Museum and GRAMMY Foundation," said Scott Goldman, who was recently named Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum. "Working as a producer, arranger, recording artist, songwriter, and composer, David's impact on the music community is immeasurable, and we are honored to have the opportunity to place a much-deserved spotlight on his impactful work." 

"It's an honor to be celebrated by the GRAMMY Museum and to support such a great cause as music education. The Museum's education programs are very important platforms for young emerging artists so I am thrilled to be part of this Gala," said Foster. "Needless to say, the Recording Academy™ has played a very influential role in my life and will continue to do so."

The Gala will also recognize Nathan Strayhorn, the recipient of the 2017 Jane Ortner Education Award, which honors K-12 academic teachers who use music in the classroom as a powerful educational tool.

The GRAMMY Museum Gala is presented by Cheryl and Haim Saban, with additional support from gold sponsors Carolyn Powers, AEG, Chuck Ortner, and the Recording Academy. The Gala will begin with a dinner catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering, followed by the award presentation and a tribute concert featuring performances to be announced soon by renowned musicians and aspiring student musicians who have previously participated in the Museum's music education programs. Gala attendees will also receive a special gift provided by luxury beauty box subscription service GLOSSYBOX. Wine served at the event will be provided courtesy of Trattore Farms.

About David Foster

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, to a maintenance yard superintendent and a homemaker, Foster began studying piano at age 4. As the story goes, his mother was dusting the family piano, hit one of the keys, and was shocked when Foster correctly called out, "That's an E!" – thus discovering he had perfect pitch. Starting out as a studio musician, arranger, and recording artist, Foster became one of the most successful songwriters and record producers in history — shepherding albums that have collectively sold in the hundreds of millions.

He has created hit songs and award-winning gold and platinum albums for a variety of artists, from Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, to Madonna, Andrea Bocelli, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Chicago, Dolly Parton, Gloria Estefan, and Earth, Wind and Fire, among others. He has also earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. Foster has also created culture-defining soundtracks for blockbuster films like The Bodyguard, Urban Cowboy, and St. Elmo's Fire.

Foster has been nominated for 45 GRAMMY Awards, and has won 16, including three for the prestigious Producer Of The Year, and was also the recipient of the Academy's President's Merit Award in 1986. In addition, Foster has won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and racked up three Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. In 2013 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Aside from music, Foster has made charitable work his life's other priority. Meeting with a young girl from his hometown who was awaiting a liver transplant had a profound impact and led him to create The David Foster Foundation in 1985. Its mission is to provide financial support to Canadian families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants, along with a new focus on organ donor awareness. He has also volunteered his time and talent to over 400 charities over the past two decades, including the annual Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night, The Andre Agassi Foundation, and Carousel of Hope.

About the GRAMMY Museum

Established in 2008 as a partnership between the Recording Academy and AEG, the GRAMMY Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum explores and celebrates all aspects of the art form—from the technology of the recording process to the legends who've made lasting marks on our cultural identity. In 2017, the Museum integrated with its sister organization, the GRAMMY Foundation, to broaden the reach of its music education and preservation initiatives. As a unified organization, today, the GRAMMY Museum fulfills its mission of making music a valued and indelible part of our society through exhibits, education, grants, and public programming.

For information on purchasing tables and tickets to the event, please contact John Morrison at the GRAMMY Museum, jmorrison@grammymuseum.org.