All About The 2025 GRAMMY U Conference In New York: Keynotes, Career Center & More

While it's less than halfway into the year, 2025 has already been a remarkable journey for GRAMMY U and filled with exhilarating community-building events.

One of the biggest GRAMMY U events of the year, the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference Presented by Mastercard will be held in New York City April 25-26. The event will bring together emerging music industry professionals and feature keynotes from GRAMMY-winning artists Laufey and Coco Jones.

Filled with colorful brand activations and futuristic photo opps, the conference kicks off on Friday, April 25 at Racket NYC. The event begins with a multi-station career center and continues with a keynote panel featuring Coco Jones, who will discuss her extensive career. That discussion will be followed by a talk-show style conversation with three leading music professionals. A final panel of top music content creators will wrap up the night, focusing on digital media presence in the evolving industry.

The second day of the conference begins with a GRAMMY U Unwrapped, where the band Lawrence will do a deep dive into their latest album, Family Business. Following this special morning workshop, the conference daytime programming continues with Laufey’s keynote conversation on genre innovation. In the afternoon, the Conference’s participating sponsor, Sony Pro Audio, will offer select members the opportunity to receive a personalized measurement for Sony's 360 Virtual Mixing Environment (360VME). The conference will conclude with an exclusive GRAMMY U & DEI Showcase on Saturday evening at The Bowery Electric, with headlining artist Samara Joy along with three GRAMMY U Showcase winners.

Read on for all the essential details about the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference coming up in New York City.

Friday, April 25

Refine Your Industry Toolkit At The Career Center

For the second year, GRAMMY U Conference will feature a career center offering members the opportunity to gain feedback on their personal brand development and learn from various music industry professionals.

Attendees can pose for a creative headshot at a photo station, have their resume reviewed by recruiters from companies like Sony and SoundCloud, and engage in mock interviews with industry professionals. They’ll also get the chance to browse info and resource tables from various local nonprofit music organizations including The Digilogue, HeadCount, Girls Who Listen, Women In Music, Gender Amplified, She Is The Music, and many others.

At various GRAMMY U community-building tables, attendees can participate in a service activity as part of The Day That MusiCares by handwriting letters to older adults to support Love For Our Elders.

In the middle of the afternoon, members will jump into the GRAMMY U Conference Networking Mixer, hosted by the GRAMMY U Mentorship Program Presented by Amazon Music. During this event, attendees will be able to discuss their career paths with more than a dozen special industry guests from the Recording Academy, and elsewhere.

Broaden Your Artistic Horizons With Coco Jones

After the GRAMMY U Conference career center wraps up, seven-time GRAMMY nominee Coco Jones will discuss her journey from Disney Channel star to breakout R&B artist. After signing with High Standardz/Def Jam in 2022, Jones released her platinum-certified hit "ICU" off her EP What I Didn’t Tell You, which earned a GRAMMY Award for Best R&B Performance in 2024.

In the panel "Crafting A Multifaceted Career with Coco Jones," members will learn how Jones’ success went beyond music as she starred as Hilary Banks in "Bel-Air" and was also featured in Netflix’s Vampires vs. the Bronx. Her ability to seamlessly navigate both music and acting has made her an inspiration to young women and artists everywhere.

April 25 will be a particularly special day for Jones — doubling as not only her spotlight at the GRAMMY U Conference, but also the release day of her debut album Why Not More?

Explore The Worlds Of Sync, A&R, & Partnerships

Ever wondered how songs end up in film, TV, or TikTok? In a news show-style segment, this "GRAMMY U Live! Sync, Sound & Strategy" conversation will highlight three key voices shaping today’s music landscape. These voices will break down sync licensing and A&R , and explore the rise of independent artists.

In these unique one-on-one interviews, Bob Bruderman will offer a roadmap to successful music placement, backed by his experience with Spotify, TikTok, and SoundCloud. Riggs Morales, the A&R executive behind Rihanna’s "Love The Way You Lie," will give a behind-the-scenes look at developing talent. Blu DeTiger, a genre-blending bassist and NYC native, will share insight on artist endorsements and brand partnerships; she will close the segment with a special gear demo featuring her own Signature Jazz Bass she created with Fender.

Moderated by GRAMMY U National Representatives Samantha Kopec and Della Anderson, this conversation will offer an inside look into future career paths for emerging music industry professionals.

Learn From Content Creators About The Evolution Of Digital Media

Friday programming concludes with "Influencing The Industry," featuring several prominent content creators known for building their own media platforms and massive audiences: Davis Burleson, Anthony Garguila, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, and Jonathan Tilkin.

Garguila and Tilkin host the "Counter-Melodies" podcast, and are known for their viral "Kitchen Singing" social media series, both of which showcase authentic storytelling through song. Joining them are Burleson (host of the social series What's Poppin? With Davis!) and Shapiro-Barnum (host of Recess Therapy and Celebrity Substitute), both known for their engaging interviews with musicians and media figures.

Moderator Tiff Baira hosts viral street interview series Street Hearts, this conversation will dive deep into how content creation has become a staple of the music industry and beyond.

Saturday, April 26

Unwrap Lawrence’s Family Business

Lawrence starts Saturday's programming with a dive into their latest album, Family Business. Members of the band will "unwrap" their creative journey and discuss what it means to be a band family.

Sibling duo Clyde and Gracie Lawrence grew up surrounded by music, and have grown from childhood performances to sold-out shows and major music festivals. Along with bandmates Jordan Cohen and Jonny Koh, Lawrence seamlessly blends soul-pop, funk and rock.

At this special GRAMMY U Unwrapped, Clyde Lawrence, Jordan Cohen, and Jonny Koh will break down the technical production aspects of their music and share live playbacks of their standout tracks live.

Get Bewitched With Laufey’s Take On Modern Music

In this keynote conversation moderated by TikTok game show "Track Star" host Jack Coyne, Laufey will offer a unique perspective on her musicianship, following the recent release of her charming single "Silver Lining."

Known for her signature blend of jazz and pop, the 25-year-old Icelandic-Chinese singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist rose to prominence in recent years, and her 2023 sophomore album Bewitched earned Laufey her first GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

In "Reimagining Contemporary Music with Laufey," GRAMMY U members will get to learn about how to stay original in their craft while growing their audience.

End On A High Note At The GRAMMY U & DEI Showcase

Uniting the music community, the GRAMMY U Showcase will close out Saturday evening for a grand finale packed with performances and unforgettable moments. In collaboration with the Recording Academy NY Chapter, GRAMMY U will spotlight three GRAMMY U performers and showcase contest winners: Isea, The Jax Experience, and The Millers.

These members will take the stage before jazz vocal extraordinaire and five-time GRAMMY winner Samara Joy closes out the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference with an invigorating performance representative of the future of music.

GRAMMY U members can register for the 2025 GRAMMY U Conference taking place in New York City April 25-26 here, and if you’re not a member, learn how to apply at grammyu.com.

For members who can’t attend in person, tune into the GRAMMY U Conference on the Recording Academy’s YouTube and Twitch channels from wherever you are.