Ehrlich To Produce 40th Grammys, Pass Torch
• The Recording Academy™ announced that Ken Ehrlich, who has served as Producer/Executive Producer of the Grammy Awards® telecasts since 1980, will be back one more time to executive produce the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020, marking Ehrlich’s milestone 40th anniversary with the show. It was also announced that Ben Winston would become the sole Executive Producer for the 63rd Grammy Awards telecast in 2021.
“Ken’s imprint on the Grammy Awards and the music industry are well-known and represent the kind of work and vision that legends are made of,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “Having worked closely with Ken for almost half of his tenure with the show, I have seen first-hand the vision, extraordinary musical knowledge, and passion he brings to every minute of the process, and the spectacular results and memorable Grammy Moments that have been delivered. It’s an honor to celebrate his 40th anniversary with the Grammys. I also recognize the wonderful opportunity ahead by bringing the immensely talented, innovative, and well-respected Ben Winston into the family, and we look forward to his enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach to presenting music on television.”
Ehrlich is the founder of AEG Ehrlich Ventures and produced his first Grammy Awardsin 1980. In his half-century as a producer, Ehrlich has created and worked on numerous award shows and live events, including the Emmy Awards, the MTV Movie Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards®. He has also produced specials for Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, John Legend, the Rolling Stones and Justin Timberlake. He directed the Las Vegas residencies of both Mariah Carey and Celine Dion and was honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Visionary Award in 2007.
“To have been a part of the growth of the Grammy Awards into the preeminent music awards show of our time has been one of the highlights of my professional life, and I’m grateful to the Recording Academy and to our partners at CBS for their support and for trusting my vision over the past four decades,” said Ehrlich. “I have also been the happy recipient of having an incredible group of people who have worked on the show over the years, and of course the most amazing cadre of musical artists who bring their own creativity and brilliance to the Grammy stage year after year. I want to wish my successor Ben the best as he assumes the Executive Producer role. I’m confident that his abilities in all aspects of production will both ensure the legacy of the Grammy Awards and also instill a new creative direction for the show.”
Winston (above) is six-time Emmy Award winner who has produced a bunch of shows, including The Late Late Show with James Corden, co-created Carpool Karaoke and Drop The Mic and has produced specials for Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber and others. “It’s an absolute honor to be Executive Producer of the Grammys for 2021,” said Winston. “I feel excitement and nerves in equal measure on taking on this role, but mostly I feel immense gratitude to the Recording Academy for this wonderful opportunity. I also want to salute Ken, who has done an absolutely remarkable job over the last 40 years.”
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, broadcast live on CBS.
