B&NC at the Grammys!
In 2026 the GRAMMY Awards unfolded under the bright lights of Los Angeles, but at least a few of the producers shaping the biggest records in the world, executives steering the industry’s most powerful labels, and legendary tastemakers whose influence spans generations…were actually B&NC’s locals!
B&NC is proud to highlight three hometowners who were at the heart of the 2026 Grammy awards:
Katonah-native Mike Sabath, who was featured in the May/June 2021 Issue of B&NC MAG, was honored for socially impactful songwriting
Katonah-native and Republic Records CEO Monte Lipman, who was the Nov/Dec 2021 B&NC MAG Cover Feature, received the Recording Association’s® Salute to Industry Icons® award
Pound Ridger Clive Davis, who was the Jan/Feb 2023 B&NC MAG Cover Feature, and who is the living legend known for bringing us ‘The Soundtrack Of Our Lives’… and whose famed pre-Grammy party remains one of the most coveted invitations in entertainment.
…B&NC locals shine! …Even on music’s biggest stage!
MIKE SABATH
Katonah-native Mike Sabath received this year’s Recording Academy’s® Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award - as one of the writers of the hit ‘Ice Cream Man’ - performed by Raye on her critically acclaimed debut album My 21st Century Blues. The award is intended to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time, and The Recording Academy® called Ice Cream Man “a poignant anthem that transforms deeply personal trauma into a purpose.”
Photo: Getty Images for the Recording Academy®
Mike said the following while accepting the Grammy:
It’s a real honor to be trusted by the artists I work with, and for RAYE to trust me with such a sensitive and vulnerable story means a lot to me. …Getting to work with Raye is always a privilege and so special. It’s such an honor to be recognized for the art we make. But even more so, I feel it’s so important and significant that the Grammys are honoring and recognizing people speaking their truths and advocating for change in this world, because that’s really the whole point of all of this for me. I make music and I do what I do and I live my life in order to spread more light and use the platform to bring more hope and inspiration as often as possible, because I really do believe in humanity.
As B&NC reported about Mike Sabath’s collaboration in 2020 with Meghan Trainor on ‘Wave’, Sabath has a special talent for bringing out the best in performing artists. In addition to collaborating with Raye, including on her hit ‘Where Is My Husband?’, Mike has produced hits for JADE, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Selena Gomez, Zara Larsson, Lizzo, Empress Of, and Niall Horan.
A recap from the May|June 2021 Issue - B&NC MAG
Katonah native Mike Sabath has been on an extraordinary musical trajectory from the very beginning. First known locally as the kid drumming in a family garage band, cover[ing] Green Day, Sabath quickly evolved into a formidable producer, songwriter, and studio talent with a roster that, in his early twenties, had already included Meghan Trainor, Lizzo, Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers. His calm, collaborative presence and creative instincts made him the kind of artist others want in the room, drawn to what he calls “real energy in real moments”.
That sense of purpose shaped one of the defining decisions of his young life: saying no to Harvard in order to pursue music full-time. “Halfway through the gap year I was just like, no,” he recalled. “It just wasn’t time.” In a twist that now feels almost fated, Sabath says that within hours of sending his email turning down the Ivy League, he received his first offer from Sony… an early signal that his leap toward music was exactly the right one.
Monte Lipman
Katonah-native Monte Lipman, who’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Republic Records, together with his brother Avery Lipman, who’s the COO and Co-Founder of Republic Records, were honored with the 2026 GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons® award.
As the Recording Academy® noted, “Republic Records has become the music industry’s most successful label of the past decade, earning Billboard’s “Hot 100 Label of the Year” 11 of the past 12 years while dominating the global charts in nearly every genre of popular music.”
And as Clive Davis proclaimed, “Monte and Avery are two of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders, and I am thrilled that they will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons® honorees. Their longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as their staunch dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have Monte and Avery’s insights and passion at the helm.”
Monte is not just an icon in the music industry, he’s a giant in the B&NC community. He and his wife, Angelina, have been major supporters of the Bedford Riding Lanes Association and the Westchester Land Trust, as well as other worthy organizations…and anyone who’s been lucky enough to attend a bash at the Lipmans’ knows the festivities often include a private concert from one of Monte’s star recording artists!
And Monte has been honored for his philanthropic and charitable endeavors beyond the B&NC borders, including having received the City of Hope’s Spirit of Hope Award, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation’s Spirit of Hope Award, the UJA-Federation’s Music Visionary of the Year, the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year, and special recognition from the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation and the DKMS Foundation. Monte has also served on the Board of Directors of the Robin Hood Foundation since 2022.
A Recap From The Nov|Dec 2021 COVER FEATURE:
Monte is the Founder and Chairman of Republic Records, working alongside his younger brother, best friend and Co-Founder, Avery. A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic’s roster includes Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, The Weeknd, and many, many more.
Monte’s reputation as a leader and a good guy in the music industry is well established. CNN Commentator and former Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, Hilary Rosen, said, “Monte is really impressive. He’s the rarest of top execs who run a business and have such a close relationship to artists. And his ear is as good as his instincts!” And as Larry Rudolph, a veteran music business manager who has managed Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, and many others over his own 30+ year career in the industry, puts it, “Monte is one of the true legends of the music business. His track record is literally unmatched by any other executive in the industry today. Just look at the charts on any given week, and look at the artists he’s signed to Republic. It’s crazy! Monte is as good as it gets as a label head. The gold standard. And a great guy on top of it!”
clive davis
Clive Davis is a fixture of the GRAMMYS.
As the Recording Academy® noted about Pound Ridger Clive Davis, “Davis has earned four GRAMMYS in his role as Album Producer, has received the GRAMMY Trustees Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and, in 2010, The Recording Academy® named The GRAMMY Museum theatre in his honor. His autobiography, The Soundtrack Of My Life, published in 2013, has become the largest-selling book involving music in history and a New York Times bestseller. The Ridley Scott firm-produced and Chris Perkel directed award-winning and highly praised documentary film on his life: Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, which Apple TV, Apple Music and iTunes launched worldwide in 2017 and debuted at No. 1 on iTunes, stayed at #1 for five consecutive weeks and is now available on Netflix.”
“Mr. Davis has impacted the worlds of Pop, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country, and Hip-Hop, and has played a key role in the careers of countless artists across those genres including: Janis Joplin, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Santana, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind & Fire, Simon & Garfunkel, Sly & The Family Stone, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Gamble and Huff, Patti Smith, Sarah McLachlan, Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Toni Braxton, Notorious B.I.G., Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Luther Vandross, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Hudson, and he launched the first six American Idol award winners to multi-platinum success.”
And in addition to all of his music industry and Grammy accolades, Clive is maybe best known for his pre-grammy party. An annual unofficial kickoff to Grammy weekend, Clive’s party has been one of the most coveted invitations in entertainment for the last half-Century. The tradition began in the 1970s, when Clive was running Arista Records, intended as an intimate dinner meant to bring together his artists, executives, and close friends on the eve of the awards. Over time, it evolved into a glamorous, star-packed gathering that came to symbolize Clive’s unique role as both kingmaker and curator.
The thing with Clive is, that the man behind the legend…is really a legend of a man…
As Monte Lipman told B&NC Mag: “I’ve been very fortunate to know Clive for many years. I continue to marvel at his impact on popular culture, and I’m truly inspired by his passion for life, and dedication to his family, friends, and community. Clive Davis is one of the most iconic music executives and producers of all time, and his contributions are immeasurable.”
…And that’s just how Clive would have it. Known and admired as a living legend, and “Someone who created a haven for many genius artists - whose music affected mankind and will go on forever,” as Clive puts it. “And I’m proud to be doing philanthropy toward the study of contemporary music at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and to have helped to finance the Clive Davis Arts Center at the Bedford Playhouse to benefit local artists and filmmakers. And I’m pleased to be doing a small part environmentally, funding the clean highway program on Route 684, where a plaque - that my friends often kid me about - tributes my contribution. …But most of all, I want to be remembered as a great father and grandfather. …And finally, I’d like it to be remembered that my annual pre-Grammy parties were the greatest parties ever!”