MJ Estate Executer John Branca to receive 2012 GRAMMY Service Award.

Estate executor John Branca to receive 2012 GRAMMY Service Award.
It was announced in December by the GRAMMY Foundation that John Branca, a partner in the law firm of Ziffren Brittenham LLP and former Board Chair of the GRAMMY Foundation’s sister charitable foundation, MusiCares®, will be the recipient of the 2012 Service Award at the GRAMMY Foundation®’s 14th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative® Luncheon & Scholarship Presentation on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Daniel Ek, co-founder and CEO of Spotify, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s luncheon.


The Service Award was established in 2006 to recognize contributions by prominent entertainment attorneys that include outstanding service to individuals (pro bono or otherwise); leadership and participation with organizations that help advance the music community; and work to affect positive change that benefits the community overall. Past honorees include David Braun, Jay L. Cooper, John T. Frankenheimer, Joel A. Katz, Paul G. Marshall, and Al Schlesinger. The ELI luncheon is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY® Week, a celebration that will culminate with the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“For close to 15 years, our GRAMMY Foundation Entertainment Law Initiative has created a forum where law students and seasoned attorneys can come together for research, dialogue and debate in the field of entertainment law,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy®, the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares. “This year, we are pleased to have a digital visionary such as Daniel Ek join us for what will undoubtedly be an insightful and thought-provoking keynote address. It is also our pleasure to honor our good friend, former MusiCares Board Chair and steward of our current MusiCares 20th Anniversary Campaign, John Branca, with our Service Award. Both of these individuals are at the forefront of our industry.”

“It’s a really exciting time for the music industry,” said Ek. “Today we have the ability to listen to all the world’s music, instantly and wherever we are on the planet. That’s a pretty amazing idea and one which inspired me to launch Spotify. I’m a big supporter of the GRAMMY Foundation’s Entertainment Law Initiative and look forward to catching up with everyone in February.”

“I’m honored by the recognition and pleased to join such a distinguished group of past Service Award recipients,” added Branca. “Daniel is one of our industry’s real visionaries, and I looking forward his talk, as well as hearing about the topics presented in the winning student papers — they often prove to be cutting-edge topics in our industry.”

Branca specializes in the music and live appearance industries. He is a leading artist representative, having represented an unprecedented 29 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Aerosmith, the Beach Boys, Bee Gees, the Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, and Carlos Santana, among others, and such other artists and celebrities as Enrique Iglesias, Nickelback and Mike Tyson. He has been at the forefront in the acquisition and sale of music publishing catalogs, including the acquisition of the Beatles catalog, ATV Music, for Michael Jackson, as well as its merger with Sony Music to create the world’s third-largest music publisher, Sony ATV Music. Branca has also been the architect of the sales of many major music catalogs, including Berry Gordy’s Jobete Music Co., the Kurt Cobain catalog, the Leiber and Stoller catalog, and the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

He serves on the board of trustees for Occidental College, participates as an active fundraiser for the UCLA athletic department and serves as the Co-Chairman of MusiCares' 20th Anniversary Campaign, a campaign in support of the leading industry charity devoted to helping members of the music community. Branca also serves on the Board of Trustees for the GRAMMY Museum and the Pauley Pavilion Renovation Campaign Committee.


To Read more from Grammy Website:
http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/press-release