RECORDING ACADEMY™ WELCOMES SUE ENNIS AND BOOKER T. JONES TO NATIONAL ADVOCACY COMMITTEE HIT SONGWRITER AND GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD® RECIPIENT WILL WORK TO ADVANCE CREATORS’ RIGHTS
The Recording Academy™ welcomes nationally-recognized songwriter Sue Ennis and three-time GRAMMY® winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Booker T. Jones to the Academy’s National Advocacy Committee. The Committee, comprised of leading performers, producers, songwriters, and studio engineers, works to determine specific policy positions of the Recording Academy and advance the interests of the music creators the Academy represents.
Sue Ennis will co-chair the Committee with record producer Rodney Jerkins. Ennis is a nationally-recognized songwriter, best known for her work with the Seattle rock band Heart. She has co-written more than 70 songs with Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, with more than 35 million records sold.
Best known as the leader of the instrumental group Booker T. & The MG's, the house band at Stax Records, Jones’ role in the evolution of R&B and soul music is incalculable. He received the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 and has been inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame.
Ennis and Jones will join existing Committee members, all working music makers, Rodney Jerkins, KEM, Ann Mincieli, John Poppo, and Nile Rodgers.
“The addition of Sue Ennis and Booker T. Jones to the Academy’s Advocacy Committee provides a valuable perspective and two strong voices to help in the fight for the next generation of music creators,” stated Daryl P. Friedman, Chief Industry, Government, & Member Relations Officer of the Recording Academy. “Key decisions about the future of the music industry will be made in Washington, D.C., during the next two years. With a strong Advocacy Committee in place, these leading creators themselves will ensure all music creators are represented and heard.”
As the only trade association in Washington representing the interests of music’s individual creators (not companies), the Committee serves as a key conduit to the creative membership. A key item on the Advocacy Committee’s agenda is the Fair Play Fair Pay Act, a comprehensive music licensing bill that closes current corporate radio loopholes, and will ensure that all music services play by the same rules, establishing a performance right on radio in the United States, while protecting small broadcasters. Additional agenda items include supporting the Allocation for Music Producers Act (AMP Act), which would include producers in copyright law for the first time; ensuring fair market pay for songwriters and composers who currently operate under regulations that suppress the value of their work; and support of the NEA, which funds music and art programs to preserve the craft for the next generation of artists.
Ennis and Jones join the Committee as the Academy kicks-off its District Advocate program, which calls upon thousands of music creators in every city across the country to take part in the Academy’s largest grassroots initiative. On District Advocate day, Oct. 18, 2017, thousands of music creators will meet with their local member of Congress in their hometowns to discuss important legislative matters affecting music creators.
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.
