Fulwell 73’s Ben Winston Set to EP Grammys in 2021

The Recording Academy has named Fulwell 73’s Ben Winston the sole executive producer for the 63rd Grammy Awards, with longtime producer Ken Ehrlich set to helm the award show next year for the last time.

The Grammy’s upcoming 2020 telecast will mark Ehrlich’s 40th year as its executive producer. Six-time Emmy Award-winner Winston is set to succeed Ehrlich in the role the following year. Winston is a producer, director and writer with award-winning credits that span television, movies, music videos and commercials. Some of his credits include The Late Late Show with James Corden, as co-creator of “Carpool Karaoke,” and the reality-competition series Drop the Mic. He has also produced music specials for artists such as Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, Harry Styles and Justin Beiber.

In the live event space, Winston recently executive produced the Global Citizen Nelson Mandela 100 Concert in South Africa, with Beyoncé and Jay Z as headliners. He was a producer of the Brits awards three times and the Tony’s twice.

Ehrlich is the founder of AEG Ehrlich Ventures and produced his first Grammy Awards in 1980. In his almost 50 years as a producer, Ehrlich has created and worked on numerous award shows and live events, including the Emmy Awards, the MTV Movie Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards. He has also produced dozens of specials for broadcast and cable networks for artists including Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, John Legend, the Rolling Stones and Justin Timberlake. Ehrlich directed the Las Vegas residencies of both Mariah Carey and Celine Dion and was honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Visionary Award in 2007.

The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, January 26, 2020, and will be broadcast live in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network.

“It’s called ‘Music’s Biggest Night’ for a reason, and one of those reasons is Ken Ehrlich,” said Jack Sussman, executive VP of specials, music and live events at CBS. “Every musical artist from every genre wants to be known as a Grammy winner, but for the viewing audience, it is those once in a lifetime ‘Grammy Moments’ that are unforgettable—and we have Ken Ehrlich to thank for that. CBS is proud of and grateful for Ken’s creative leadership and partnership over the last 40 years. With the Grammys’ rich history and foundation in place, we will pass the baton in 2021 to Ben Winston, one of the most creative producing voices in television today. The past is historic. The present is exciting. And the future is bright for this event on television.”

“To have been a part of the growth of the Grammy Awards into the preeminent music awards show of our time has been one of the highlights of my professional life, and I’m grateful to the Recording Academy and to our partners at CBS for their support and for trusting my vision over the past four decades,” said Ehrlich. “I have also been the happy recipient of having an incredible group of people who have worked on the show over the years, and of course the most amazing cadre of musical artists who bring their own creativity and brilliance to the Grammy stage year after year. I want to wish my successor Ben the best as he assumes the executive producer role. I am confident that his abilities in all aspects of production will both ensure the legacy of the Grammy Awards and also instill a new creative direction for the show.”

Winston added: “It’s an absolute honor to be executive producer of the Grammys for 2021. I feel excitement and nerves in equal measure on taking on this role, but mostly I feel immense gratitude to the Recording Academy for this wonderful opportunity. I also want to salute Ken, who has done an absolutely remarkable job over the last 40 years.”