Grammys CEO: Inside the Minds of Music’s Greatest Artists
Post Run High
iHeartPodcasts
1.1 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 26 January 2026
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Harvey Mason Jr. has worked with some of the most influential artists in history — and now leads the Grammys.
In this conversation, the Recording Academy CEO reflects on what he learned from working closely with icons like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey, and how those lessons shaped the way he thinks about excellence, pressure, and creative longevity.
He also opens up about the Grammys: how voting actually works, why it remains peer-led, what changed after public criticism, and what most people never see in the weeks leading up to music’s biggest night.
This episode is about greatness — how it’s built, how it’s sustained, and how it’s judged — from someone who has lived on both sides of it.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | There's a level of expectation from people like Michael Jackson. |
| 0:03.6 | Sometimes it's higher than you have for yourself. |
| 0:05.9 | You're a legendary songwriter and producer. |
| 0:08.5 | Introducing Harvey Mason Jr. |
| 0:10.2 | Five-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and music producer. |
| 0:12.9 | The hitmaker behind legends like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce. |
| 0:18.2 | From the basketball court to the studio to the CEO chair. |
| 0:21.0 | Since 2021, he has served as the CEO of the Recording Academy, leading the Grammys into a new era. |
| 0:26.4 | The weekend made headlines, calling out the Grammys. |
| 0:29.8 | What was that like for you to wake up and read those headlines? |
| 0:32.9 | Anytime an artist speaks up, I'm listening. |
| 0:35.4 | We want to make sure our award is a peer-to-peer award. If we were to open up to fans, then it would turn more into a... For our up-and-coming artists out there, what do they need to be thinking about? Authenticity and emotion and connecting with an audience is going to be what sets you apart. A lot of people are writing songs with AI. At the academy, we will accept AI submissions. Artists and |
| 0:54.9 | producers and writers are using it every day. We can't pretend like they're not. But I am going to say |
| 0:59.6 | that AI is absolutely going to. This is Kate Bax with Post Run High. Today's conversation is with |
| 1:09.4 | Harvey Mason Jr., a Grammy-winning producer and songwriter, |
| 1:13.3 | the current CEO of the Recording Academy, and a former Division I basketball player. Thank you so |
| 1:20.1 | much for being here and tuning in. Don't forget to follow the show wherever you are listening. |
| 1:24.7 | We will be right back with our conversation after this |
| 1:28.3 | short break. |
| 1:33.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 1:36.0 | Guaranteed human. |
| 1:41.0 | Harvey Mason, Jr., welcome to post-run high. |
... |
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