JAY-Z to Present City of Hope Honor to Warner/Chappell’s Jon Platt

Jon Platt, Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music, announced that Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter will be joining him in L.A. for the Oct. 11 City of Hope gala supporting the acclaimed nonprofit clinical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. The visionary music mogul and twenty-one-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, and Warner/Chappell songwriter will present the prestigious Spirit of Life® award to Platt. It was recently announced that Pharrell Williams will host the star-studded event.

Platt said, “It’s no secret that I don’t like being the center of attention, that’s for the songwriters, but when I accept the Spirit of Life award this fall, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have presenting it to me. Jay is unquestionably one of the most giving and genuine people I know, not to mention one of the greatest songwriters on the planet. I feel lucky to call him my brother. October 11 is going to be a really special, unforgettable night.”

JAY-Z will have just returned from the On the Run II Tour with Beyoncé, which began just as The Carters surprise-dropped their first joint album, Everything is Love. With the record for most Billboard No.1 albums by a solo artist, including last year’s 4:44, JAY-Z boasts more than 100 million album sales worldwide. Last year he was the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an award which Platt accepted on JAY-Z’s behalf. This past weekend, JAY-Z held his annual Made in America music festival in Philadelphia, featuring top hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill, and Post Malone.

Each year City of Hope recognizes a philanthropic leader whose work has fundamentally impacted music, film or entertainment. The coveted Spirit of Life® award is its highest honor, having been given to such noted figures as Quincy Jones, Mo Ostin, Clive Davis, Frances W. Preston, Shelli and Irving Azoff, Doug Morris, and Sir Lucian Grainge.

For more information about donating to City of Hope and purchasing tickets to the upcoming gala dinner, please visit CityofHope.org/mfei-spirit.

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About JAY-Z

Since 1996, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and 21-time Grammy Award-winner, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter has been a dominant force in popular culture. With multiple businesses and accolades across the recording industry and strong relationships with global investment leaders like Warren Buffet, JAY-Z personifies the “American Dream.”

Among his achievements, Carter has served as President of Def Jam Recordings, launched the successful “Made in America” festival, acquired luxury spirits brand Armand De Brignac and maintains his role as majority owner in the 40/40 sports clubs. In 2013, Carter launched Roc Nation Sports, whose roster includes three-time NBA scoring champion and Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant and MLB All-Star Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano. Carter became co-owner in global streaming service, TIDAL, in 2015. In 2017, Carter became the first Hip-Hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Carter is active in giving back to the community, most notably through his philanthropic work through the Shawn Carter Foundation. The Foundation, founded in 2002, is dedicated to helping individuals facing socio-economic hardships further their education, encouraging them to tap into their potential. Since the foundation launched, Shawn Carter Scholars are studying at over 100 institutions of higher education throughout the nation.

About Jon Platt

Jon Platt is chairman and chief executive officer of Warner/Chappell Music, the longest-standing major music publishing company in the world, as well as a member of Warner Music Group’s board of directors. Over the course of an extraordinary career — beginning as a teenaged DJ in Denver, climbing the ranks at EMI Music Publishing, joining Warner/Chappell in 2012, and rising to his current post in 2015 — Platt has championed everyone from JAY-Z to Beyoncé, from Kanye West to Drake, from Usher to Rihanna, and from Brandy to Janet Jackson.

For more than two decades, Platt has demonstrated a gift for recognizing great songwriters early and providing the environment for their creativity to flourish over long, successful careers. He is also well known as an influential advocate for songwriters’ rights and an inspiring mentor for the next generation of executives.

Under Platt’s global leadership, Warner/Chappell’s “focus on putting songwriters first is putting Warner/Chappell first.” The accomplishments of its songwriters have earned the company many top industry accolades, including Publisher of the Year at BMI’s Pop Awards and R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, and all four of ASCAP’s most prestigious honors: the Pop, Rhythm & Soul, Latin and, for five years running, the Country Awards. The company has broken records and made impressive market share gains in territories around the world, including being named the No.1 music publisher in Billboard’s quarterly airplay rankings.

Platt has served as vice chairman of the board of directors for the MusiCares Foundation and sits on the boards of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, the Motown Museum and the Living Legends Foundation. His family actively supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation — where Platt’s wife, Angie, serves on the JDRF Los Angeles Chapter Board of Directors and the international board of directors. In 2005, he launched the Big Jon Platt Scholarship Program, annually awarding three high school students from his hometown with college scholarships.

Platt has been featured on the Ebony Power 100 list and was named BRE Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” He has received the Visionary Award at the SESAC Pop Music Awards and been honored as the Music Visionary of the Year by the UJA-Federation of New York. In 2017, he was presented with Morehouse College’s Candle Award in Music, Business and Entertainment, the same year as Usher and Tyler Perry.

About City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group

Inspired by the guiding humanitarian principles of City of Hope and motivated by the institution’s commitment to innovative medical research and compassionate patient care, a group of key industry executives founded the charity’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group in 1973. In its 45-year history, the group has raised more than $118 million for City of Hope and has honored some of the most important figures in the music and entertainment industry.

Recent past honorees include Coran Capshaw, founder of Red Light Management; Joel A. Katz, chair of Global Entertainment and Media Practice of Greenberg Traurig; Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Music Group; Frances W. Preston, former president and chief executive officer of BMI Music; Lia Vollack, president of Columbia Live Stage; Shelli and Irving Azoff, chairman and chief executive officer of Azoff MSG Entertainment; Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Apple’s Internet Software Services; Rob Light, head of the music department, partner and managing director of Creative Artists Agency; and Doug Morris, former chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 49 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with locations throughout Southern California. It is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation, diabetes and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs based on technology developed at the institution.

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