Neil Portnow
Neil R. Portnow is an American music industry executive who served as the chairman and CEO of The Recording Academy and MusiCares from 2002 to 2019. Prior to that, Portnow was the vice-president of the West Coast division of Jive Records and Arista Records. Early career and education Portnow grew up in Great Neck, New York, to Bessie Portnow (1916-1989) and Felix Portnow (1917-2001). Portnow is Jewish. He has an older brother, Julius Portnow. He played the bass guitar in a high school rock band, The Savages, who released a 45 rpm record "Cheating on me"/"Best thing you ever had" on Red Fox Records. The record did not achieve serious commercial success, but was included in a compilation of garage bands. Portnow graduated from The George Washington University in 1971, where he served as president of the GW Student Association. Later in 1971, he formed his own firm, Portnow-Miller Company, Inc., where he served as president. His client list included RCA Records, The Entertainment Company, Babylon Records, and Playboy Records. Portnow's services incorporated radio promotion, marketing and creative services, music publishing, and record production. The Screen Gems Publishing Group, later acquired by EMI, named him manager of talent acquisitions and