A Dundee nightclub owner will rub shoulders with the music industry’s biggest stars after joining an LA publishing firm who will produce the Grammy Awards’ official programme book.
Tony Cochrane, who runs Club Tropicana, Aura and Fat Sams Live in Dundee, among more than a dozen venues stretched across every city in Scotland, has become a partner of US entertainment sector publisher AFM.
The company has worked alongside the Academy and Grammy awards for more than two decades and has now been chosen to publish the prestigious Awards Book for the 62nd Grammys at the Staples Centre on January 26.
The book is the official souvenir publication and one of the key keepsakes for artists and industry professionals attending the show. All nominees, as well as special merit award honorees, are celebrated in its pages.
Mr Cochrane, who will run international relations for the programme book, has previously been pictured mixing with Holyrood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Charlize Theron but highlighted the strong Scottish flavour of this year’s awards.
He said: “Another Scot who should hopefully be there is Lewis Capaldi, nominated for best song with Someone You Loved.
“He launched his album with Assai Records at my club Fat Sams earlier in the year and I predicted to him I’d be seeing him at the Grammys. He said they were slowly working the States but ended up lasting three weeks at Number One there.”
Capaldi will face off against the likes Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Tanya Tucker in the race to win song of the year.
Other stars up for prizes include Lizzo and Billie Eilish – who are both shortlisted in all of the ceremony’s “big four” categories: best new artist, best song, best record and best album – and English singer Yola in the best new artist category.
AFM founder Ken Rose is a voting member of the Academy, part of the Recording Academy producers and engineers wing and has functioned as an ad sales representative for the Grammys for more than two decades.
He said: “The time is right for us to take our long-standing relationship to the next level. Nominees and winners leave the show with medallions and trophies, but every attendee leaves the show with the programme book.”
Recording Academy vice president of creative services David Konjoyan said: “Ken Rose and his team at AFM are longtime music business insiders who are passionate about music and our industry.
“AFM has had a long, positive association with the Academy and we look forward to creating an important souvenir of the show together.”
