PANELISTS
Michael Abels
Michael Abels is a new member of the Academy. Michael is the award-winning composer of the score to Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning film Get Out and Us, which released earlier this year to huge critical acclaim and record-breaking box office, with his score garnering stand-out reviews. His most recent film, Bad Education, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews. His score for Get Out is being performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta on September 21 and Us live to picture is being performed at the Microsoft Theater on October 26. Michael was a schoolteacher until a few months ago. Michael is co-founder and current Executive Director of the Composers Diversity Collective, an organization promoting diversity and inclusion in music for media.
Kris Bowers
Kris Bowers is an Emmy Award-winning composer and pianist who creates genre-defying music that pays homage to his jazz roots with inflections of alternative and R&B influences. From scoring documentaries like Kobe Bryant’s Muse and Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, to scripted series including Shonda Rhimes and Paul William Davies’ For the People, Netflix’s Dear White People, and SHOWTIME’S Black Monday, Kris’ work as a film and television composer is a testament to his versatility as an artist. In 2018, Kris had the honor of collaborating with Emmy and Academy Award-winning director Peter Farrelly and Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali on their critically acclaimed Green Book, not only scoring the film but also serving as Ali’s on-screen hand-double and piano coach. In early 2018, Kris scored the critically acclaimed drama, Monsters and Men, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. His work also appears in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries, When They See Us about the Central Park Jogger Case. Kris has recorded and performed with artists such as Q-Tip, Aretha Franklin, Ludacris, Christian Rich, Jay-Z, and Kanye West and has contributed to albums by Marcus Miller, José James, Moses Sumney, and Murs. Kris is an official Steinway Artist and was named one of twelve ‘Artists to Watch’ by iTunes in 2014. Kris currently lives in Los Angeles with his fiancée.
Diane Warren
Diane Warren is an award-winning songwriter and sole owner of her publishing company Realsongs. Her songs have been featured in more than 100 motion pictures resulting in 10 Academy Award® nominations. Diane most recently received an Oscar nomination for the original song “I’ll Fight” for RBG, a documentary feature about the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Some of her other Oscar nominations include” “Stand Up For Something” from Marshall, “Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground, “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights, “There’ll You’ll Be” from Pearl Harbor, “Music Of My Heart” from Music of the Heart, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” from Armageddon, “How Do I Live?” from Con Air and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin. Diane has been nominated for 15 Grammys and received a Grammy for the song “Because You Loved Me” from Up Close and Personal for which she also was Oscar nominated. In addition, Diane is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001. Diane continues to work with today’s most popular artists, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Adele, Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Paloma Faith, Andra Day, Demi Lovato, Common, Janelle Monáe, Missy Elliott, Zendaya, and Jason Derulo. Throughout her career, she has written for iconic artists such as Whitney Houston, Cher, Aerosmith, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey and many more.
MODERATOR
Mike Muse
Mike Muse a former Music Label Co-Founder, Pop Culture Expert, Political Expert, and Change Agent. By intersecting politics and pop culture, Mike uses his platform to create social change. As an industrial engineer turned media entrepreneur. Mike is host of SiriusXM’s award winning show, “The Mike Muse Show,” Co-host of “Sway in the Morning,” Co-Host of ABC previous talk show “Real Live,” now an ABC Contributor. He leverages his platform to show policy as lifestyle, the topic of his first of two TED Talks. As a guest lecturer on various topics dealing with the business of music and politics at Columbia University, Wharton School of Business, Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at New York University, and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to name a few; Mike enjoys helping shape discussion, debate, and future thought leaders. While serving as a member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee, Mike was recognized as one of the youngest persons in America to raise over $1 million dollars for any American President in one year. Most recently he was appointed to serve as the Unites States Small Business Administration, My Brother’s Keeper, Millennial Entrepreneurial Champion-designed to support President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative. As well as the United States Small Business Administration Federal Commission for the Council of Underserved Communities as the Millennials in Business Representative. Mike is a Google NextGen Tech Policy Fellow, co-creator of the Careers in Film Summit with the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences, appointed by New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, to serve on the Board of Advisors for the Mayors Fund to Advance New York City and The Board of Visitors for Howard University School of Divinity, respectively through 2018. Black Millennial Convention awardee as a "Pioneer in Media and Politics, honoring the innovative concept of The Mike Muse Show." He is a Cadillac Trailblazer Award recipient, A North Star Social Justice Awardee, a Brightpoint Excellence in the Arts Honoree, a Network Journal 40 Under 40 awardee, Links Organization National Trends and Service Award recipient, and recipient of the 100 Black Men of America Achievement Award.