#NewYorkNotes #LegalPeachy 2026 Entertainment Law Initiative® GRAMMY® WEEK EVENT to Present Service Award to Warner Music Group’s Paul Robinson and honor Writing Contest Scholarship Winner, Runners-Up Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know @GaroNazarianDDS #cosmopolitandental #loveyoursmile
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ANNUAL LUNCHEON CELEBRATES LEADING ENTERTAINMENT LAWYERS AND AWARDS NEXT GENERATION WITH $15K IN SCHOLARSHIPS
The Recording Academy® established the Entertainment Law Initiative® (ELI) to prompt meaningful dialogue around the legal issues affecting the music industry, with the ultimate goal of furthering the Academy’s mission of advocating for creators. Each year during GRAMMY® Week, ELI hosts a luncheon that unites the industry’s leading attorneys to celebrate their contributions and presents the Service Award to a legal professional who has dedicated their practice toward bettering the music community.
ELI also serves the next generation of entertainment law professionals by awarding scholarships to three Juris Doctor and Master of Laws students via its annual Writing Contest. Co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, the ELI Writing Contest challenges law students to identify and research a current legal issue in the music industry and outline a proposed solution in an essay. The winning paper is published in the ABA’s journal Entertainment & Sports Lawyer . A $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the winner, $2,500 scholarships are awarded to two runners-up, and a mentor session with a leading entertainment attorney is given to all three. The winner will also receive tickets to attend the 2026 GRAMMY Awards®, MusiCares® Person of the Year and the ELI Event.
The 2026 Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award will be presented to Paul Robinson, Warner Music Group’s (WMG) Executive Vice President & General Counsel. In this role, Robinson is responsible for WMG’s worldwide legal, business affairs, public policy, compliance, and corporate governance functions. Robinson was initially selected for the 2025 event prior to the Recording Academy’s decision to condense GRAMMY Week programming to prioritize Los Angeles wildfire response. See here for Robinson’s full announcement as the Service Award honoree.
ELI has also selected Justin Fisher of St. Thomas University College of Law as the winner of its annual Writing Contest. Anika Kazi and Derek Song, the two runners-up, will also be recognized during the 2026 Entertainment Law Initiative GRAMMY Week event. More information on the recipients can be found below.
ELI Writing Contest Winner
School / Year
City / State
Paper Title
Justin Fisher
St. Thomas University College of Law, 3L
Miami Gardens, FL
“Uneven Stages: How Inconsistent State Taxation Undermines the Entertainment Industry"
Runners-Up
School / Year
City / State
Paper Title
Anika Kazi
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 2L
New York, NY
"The Missing Guild: Why Songwriters Need Collective Bargaining Rights In The Streaming Era"
Derek Song
University of California, Los Angeles, 3L
Los Angeles, CA
“From Voice Imitation to Data Exploitation: Reclaiming Musician Identity Through Biometric Privacy"
Friday, Jan. 30, 2026
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. PT
Individual tickets, along with a limited number of discounted student tickets, will be available for purchase on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. PT, for the ELI GRAMMY Week Event. For more information, please visit: https://vivenu.com/event/28th-annual-entertainment-law-initiative-grammy--j5htg9.
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.
For more information about the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy, please visit GRAMMY.com and RecordingAcademy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy’s social communities on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
