The Recording Academy Songwriters & Composers Wing is welcoming award-winning songwriter Ross Golan as Co-Chair of the S&C Wing. In his new role, Golan, who has penned songs for artists like Ariana Grande, Céline Dion, Michael Bublé, Sabrina Carpenter, and many more, will work in tandem with multi-platinum songwriter and current S&C Wing Chair Evan Bogart and S&C Wing Senior Managing Director Susan Stewart to shape programming, promote membership, and collaborate with industry partners. (In addition to continuing his role as Co-Chair, Bogart will simultaneously represent the Recording Academy on a national level as Vice Chair of the Academy's Board of Trustees, for which he was elected in June.)
Learn more about how this new era of leadership, led by Bogart, Golan and Stewart, will shape the future of the Songwriters & Composers Wing and will help celebrate, educate, and advocate for the songwriters and composers who are powering the industry.
Golan is a multi-platinum songwriter, artist, podcast host, and advocate. He studied music at the University of Southern California and has since released songs with some of the biggest artists in the world. He is the 2016 BMI Songwriter Of The Year. His musicals have garnered eight Drama Desk nominations. His podcast "And The Writer Is," which counts more than 1 million views across platforms every week, is the songwriting industry's quintessential show. He was the first songwriter on the board of the National Music Publishers Association and is currently on the board of Songwriters of North America and the co-chair of NMPA's Gold and Platinum Program.
"From its inception, I've seen how the S&C Wing has provided its diverse and growing membership the support it needs to thrive in this challenging time," Golan said in a statement. "We're at a critical moment for songwriters and composers, and we creators need this community more than ever. It's a privilege to step into this role as Co-Chair and I look forward to collaborating with the entire organization to advocate for the thousands of members who call the S&C Wing their home."
Since the S&C Wing's inception in 2021, originally launched during the 2021 GRAMMYs, Bogart and Stewart have led the Academy's charge to champion songwriters and composers by developing opportunities for celebration, collaboration, advocacy, networking, and education. The S&C Wing is home to over 6,000 Recording Academy members, and as noted in the Academy's fall 2024 membership report, songwriters and composers make up 46% of the Academy's Voting membership. At the 2023 GRAMMYs, the Academy awarded the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY Award for the first time, further recognizing the artistic excellence in songwriting.
The S&C Wing's commitment to elevating the creators working in these crafts has also helped lead the Academy to monumental legislative victories, including the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act in California and the federal Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, which was signed into law last month.
Most recently, the S&C Wing wrapped up its 2024-2025 programming year, "A Year of Best Practices," with the S&C Wing working in tandem with the Recording Academy's 12 Chapters to educate members across genres and professional levels on important standards for songwriters and composers. The programs, which ranged from local initiatives to global virtual events, included the debut of the "Writer to Writer: Best Practices for Songwriting in a Global Market" panel, a historic collaboration presented in partnership with the Latin Recording Academy that premiered in nine countries.