Neil Portnow

Neil Portnow is a former president and CEO of the Recording Academy, serving from 2002 until 2019. His tenure was marked by significant controversy, particularly regarding comments he made in 2018 about women's roles in the music industry during the #MeToo movement, which led to widespread criticism and a call for reform within the Academy. Following these events, Portnow's leadership was scrutinized as the organization sought to diversify its membership and voting body to better represent underrepresented communities in the music industry.