The Recording AcademyEntertainment Law Initiative, which celebrates the 25 th anniversary of its annual Grammy Week event next year, will honor veteran attorney Peter T. Paterno, Partner at King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, with the 2023 Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award, presented each year to an attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing and supporting the music community through service.
Paterno’s clients include, among others: Dr. Dre, the Tupac Shakur estate, metallica, Van Morrison, Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex, Tyler the Creator, Q Tip, Rage Against the Machine, Alice In Chains, Linda Ronstadt, Roddy Ricch, Sia, Henry Mancini Estate, Shirley Manson, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos and others.
“We’re thrilled to return to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for the 25th anniversary ELI Grammy Week Event to salute the impact of entertainment law on the music industry,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “The creative community is grateful for Peter’s advocacy on behalf of music makers, and I look forward to celebrating ELI’s mission to inspire dialogue between industry professionals and to cultivate an inclusive future generation of entertainment law practitioners.”
“Peter’s longtime commitment to the music business and his ability to confidently navigate the intricacies of our industry make him an outstanding recipient of the ELI Service Award for this year’s 25th anniversary event,” said Neil Crilly, managing director of industry leader engagement & chapter operations at the Recording Academy. “I applaud ELI’s Executive Committee for recognizing a leader whose expertise has helped countless artists succeed in their careers and who has supported the music industry through eras of change.”
The Service Award winner is determined by ELI’s Executive Committee, which recognizes leaders in the entertainment law community and works to mentor young professionals in the industry. The ELI GRAMMY Week Event will also celebrate the winner and two runners-up of the Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, which challenges students in Juris Doctorate and Master of Laws programs at U.S. law schools to research a pressing legal issue facing the modern music industry and outline a proposed solution in a 3,000-word essay. A $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the author of the winning paper, and a $2,500 scholarship is awarded to two runners-up, and the winning paper will be published in the ABA’s journal Entertainment & Sports Lawyer.
The winner will also receive travel and tickets to Los Angeles to attend the 65th Grammy Awards, MusiCares Person of the Year, and the ELI Grammy Week Event. The contest is open to JD and LLM candidates at U.S. law schools and students have until Jan. 3 to enter the contest. See official rules, detailed prize packages and deadlines at recordingacademy/eli.
