Harvey Mason jr. serves as CEO of the Recording Academy®. Mason was initially named Interim President & CEO in January 2020 while serving as Chair of the Academy's Board of Trustees. After a global search, he was named CEO in June 2021. Mason has led a transformation of the Academy that has diversified its membership; revised rules and processes to make the GRAMMY Awards® more transparent, inclusive, and reflective of a wide variety of musical genres; enlarged its role as a service organization for music creators — particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic — and restructured the organization to position it for global growth and diversification. Mason is the first Black CEO in the Academy's history.
In addition to running the iconic GRAMMY organization, Harvey is also a renowned music creator. He has not only penned and produced songs for industry legends like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Elton John, but also for today’s superstars including Justin Bieber, Beyonce, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake, and Chris Brown. He has also compiled an impressive list of film and TV music credits including writing/producing the music for Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, Sing, Sing 2, The Wiz Live!, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Shrek, Straight Outta Compton, all three Pitch Perfect films, Dreamgirls, Get On Up, and Over the Moon, to name a few.
He also produced and executive produced his first feature film project, the Lebron James movie “More Than a Game” for Lionsgate. Most recently, Harvey produced the highly regarded biopic for MGM, “Respect” starring Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin. With more projects in development at studios/streamers, Harvey continues to have an exciting future in the TV/film space.
Giving back to the community is also at the core of Mason’s commitment to the arts. He has received the Spirit of Excellence Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation for his philanthropic efforts. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the University of Arizona, where he was a standout basketball player on a team that went to the Final Four. He serves on the NAACP Advisory Council and also sits on the boards of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, the Chargers Impact Fund, and Ureeka. Mason also invests his time and resources into several impactful organizations, including Ronald McDonald House, the American Cancer Society, and Los Angeles Children's Hospital.