Harvey Mason Jr. joins Paley Center's Los Angeles board

Harvey Mason Jr., chief executive of the Recording Academy & MusiCares, has been elected to The Paley Center for Media's Los Angeles board of governors.

The appointment was reported on 20 October 2026. Mason Jr. is the senior manager in charge of the Academy, the membership body for recording professionals, and its linked charity MusiCares. Billboard

That is a big room to join. The Los Angeles board gathers senior leaders from across American television, film and music. The national board of trustees sits above it and oversees the organisation as a whole.

The same report named two new members of that national board. They are David Ellison, chairman and chief executive of Skydance, and Chris Winfrey, president and chief executive of Charter Communications.

The Paley Center is led by president and chief executive Maureen J. Reidy. A president and chief executive runs day-to-day work and answers to the boards. A governor or trustee advises, opens doors and helps set direction.

Mason Jr.'s name already appears on the Los Angeles board roster listed as current as of July 2026. Paley Center That roster also includes Rob Wade of FOX Entertainment and Michael Wright of MGM+, alongside other executives from broadcasting and streaming.

The list shows how Los Angeles leadership is built. It draws from networks, studios and platforms with a strong West Coast presence. Music now has a direct seat at that table through Mason Jr.

He has led the Recording Academy since January 2020, when he was initially named interim president and chief executive. Harvey Mason Media Interim means a temporary appointment, put in place while a permanent decision is made.

He went on to hold the job on a continuing basis. Six years on, he also heads MusiCares, which supports music professionals with health and welfare services. That dual role puts him across both industry recognition and direct aid to workers.

What makes this stand out is the crossover. A music chief will now work alongside film and television executives on media issues outside awards season. For fans, this means the people behind different parts of entertainment are talking in the same room.

The Los Angeles board acts as a local leadership group. It helps shape events, public programmes and outreach on the West Coast. It does not run a label, a studio or an awards vote.

No terms or start dates beyond the election itself were disclosed in the report. The July roster listing indicates the Los Angeles group was already in place over the summer, with Mason Jr. included.