Recording Academy Appoints Taylor Hanson as Co-Chair of National Advocacy Committee

The Recording Academy has announced the appointment of Taylor Hanson and the reappointment of Dani Deahl as co-chairs of its National Advocacy Committee, a group of performers, songwriters, producers, and engineers dedicated to championing creators’ rights at both the state and federal levels. The National Advocacy Committee plays a key role in shaping the organization’s legislative priorities in collaboration with the Recording Academy’s Advocacy & Public Policy team in Washington, D.C.

Singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur Taylor Hanson has spent more than three decades in the music industry. He is a member of the brother trio HANSON, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997 with “MMMBop.” The exuberant smash brought the trio three Grammy nods – record of the year, best best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal and best new artist.

 A native of Tulsa, OK, Hanson has long supported music education and advocacy through such initiatives as the Recording Academy’s Grammys on the Hill and Music Advocacy Day as well as Save the Music. Hanson has also worked to expand the Academy’s state advocacy work in Oklahoma and founded Food on the Move, a nonprofit dedicated to combating hunger and food deserts in Oklahoma. This marks Hanson’s first term as co-chair of the Academy’s National Advocacy Committee.

Serving a second consecutive term as co-chair, Dani Deahl is a DJ, producer, former Recording Academy Chicago chapter president, and current Academy national trustee. An advocate for creators’ rights, Deahl testified before the Illinois House and Senate in 2024 in support of HB 4875, a bill modernizing the state’s right of publicity law to protect creators from AI misuse. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) signed the bill into law last year.

Deahl has also participated in the Recording Academy’s annual Grammys on the Hill initiative and took part in the inaugural Grammys on the Hill Future Forum in 2024, where she joined Grammy-nominated artist Kokayi and Todd Dupler, the Academy’s chief advocacy and public policy officer, on a panel to discuss the positive potential of AI in music and creativity. Deahl has also served as the head of communications and creator insights at BandLab since 2022.

Additional new National Advocacy Committee members include Sean Patrick Flavahan, Matt Maher, Maggie Rose and Divinity Roxx. They join Dr. Chelsey Green, Recording Academy chair of the board of trustees; Harvey Mason jr, Recording Academy CEO; and Dupler as ex-officio members.