SANTA MONICA, CA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Veteran music and television producer Ken Ehrlich will executive produce and write the 57th Annual Grammy Awards®, it was announced by The Recording Academy. The 57th Grammy Awards marks Ehrlich's 35th year as a producer of Music's Biggest Night. The telecast will take place live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, and will be broadcast on CBS.
Additionally, Ehrlich and his production company AEG Ehrlich Ventures (the partnership between Ehrlich and AEG, the Los Angeles-based entertainment sports and venue management company) will produce the 58th and 59th Grammy Awards, as well as the upcoming one-hour entertainment special "A Very Grammy Christmas," which will include performances of holiday songs and current pop hits, as well as artists sharing their favorite holiday and Grammy memories. The road to Music's Biggest Night begins with "A Very Grammy Christmas" — which airs Friday, Dec. 5, and will also be broadcast on CBS and culminates with the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Ken's vast knowledge and genuine love of music, as well as his expertise and vision, have made him an outstanding producer — and ultimately the executive producer — of the Grammy Awards for 35 years now," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "As one of the key architects of our signature 'Grammy Moments,' he continues to elevate the content, quality, and production value of our annual telecast. We couldn't be more pleased to continue our long-standing partnership and, more importantly, I am proud to call him my good friend."
"I consider it an honor to have been associated with the Grammy Awards and CBS for so many years, and to be able to continue this relationship over the next three years," said Ehrlich. "I am proud of the standard of excellence that the Gramys have maintained over the years, and particularly proud of the audience successes and critical acclaim the show has garnered in the years since Neil Portnow, Leslie Moonves, Nina Tassler, Jack Sussman and I have become partners in presenting Music's Biggest Night."
Ehrlich has coordinated artist pairings, including Eminem and Elton John; Prince and Beyoncé; Jay Z, Paul McCartney and Linkin Park; Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone; the Gorillaz (holographic) and Madonna; Chick Corea and Foo Fighters; Dave Grohl, McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Walsh; the Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons; Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Sting; Metallica and Lang Lang; Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons; Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Blake Shelton; Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams, and Stevie Wonder; and the very first "Grammy Moment" with Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand, who performed "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" at the 22nd Grammy Awards in 1980.
Ehrlich's association with the Grammys began in 1980 with the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards, when then- executive producer Pierre Cossette asked Ehrlich to produce the then-two-hour show that was in its eighth year on CBS. Since that time, the show has expanded to three and a half hours and has become one of television's most highly anticipated live events annually. Its ratings have continued to be among the highest in the live event spectrum with this year's 56th Grammy Awards ultimately garnering more than 30 million viewers — the second-largest audience for the awards broadcast since 1993. The telecast also was the biggest social television event at the time, with 34 million social media interactions (with statistics compiled by Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter). The annual Grammy Awards telecast has been nominated for 66 Emmy Awards in a number of categories and has won 22 Emmys. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
