T.J. Martell Foundation Announces Honorees for 39th New York Honors Gala

NEW YORK, July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research has announced the honorees for its 39th Annual Honors Gala on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 which will be held at the legendary Cipriani in New York. The honorees include John Paul DeJoria, Co-founder of Paul Mitchell Hair Products and Patron Spirits Company, Will Botwin, President & CEO of Red Light Management, Hard Rock International which will be accepted by President & CEO Hamish Dodds, Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO Sony Latin Music and Marsha Vlasic, Senior VP of Concerts, Head of Contemporary Rock,  ICM.

John Paul DeJoria will receive the Lifetime Humanitarian Award, Hamish Dodds will accept the Spirit of Excellence Award on behalf of Hard Rock International, Will Botwin will receive the Visionary Leadership Award, Afo Verde will receive the Lifetime Music Industry Achievement Award and Marsha Vlasic will receive the Spirit of Music Award. The annual New York Honors Gala brings together hundreds of music and entertainment leaders, top business executives and celebrities. It is one of the most sought-after tickets in the industry and is one of the most important events for the T.J. Martell Foundation, allowing the organization to continue its work in Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS research.

John Paul DeJoria is one of the world's most celebrated business leaders who created and co-founded Paul Mitchell hair care products. DeJoria started his early business career out of necessity. At the young age of nine he helped his older brother support their family by selling Christmas cards and newspapers. Growing up in a Los Angeles foster home, he later graduated from high school and spent two years in the U.S. Navy. In 1980, with just $700, he and his friend Paul Mitchell launched a revolutionary hair care system with three products and the rest is history. Today Paul Mitchell currently produces over 100 products and is available in over 80 countries worldwide.  He is also the co-founder of Patron Spirits which sells over two million cases a year and his newest venture ROK Mobile is an affordable and ultimate mobile company that includes unlimited music, data, talk and texts. Despite all of DeJoria's success he continues to give back with his generous support of numerous philanthropic organizations around the world.

Will Botwin, President & CEO of Red Light Management and ATO Records, represents some of the world's most popular musical artists.  He joined Red Light Management after leaving Columbia Records Group where he spent ten years rising quickly through the ranks and serving as Chairman and President. Botwin's 25+ years in talent management has made him a leader in the industry. During his time at Red Light and ATO, he has had the pleasure of working with artists such as Ben Harper, Alicia Keys, Amos Lee, Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, Faith Hill, and Alanis Morissette, to name a few. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Global Poverty Project, and is a member of Keep A Child Alive's Black Ball Event Committee.

Hard Rock International is a company that works every day in pursuit of the philosophy LOVE ALL – SERVE ALL®, a philosophy that has been part of the brand's DNA since the first cafe opened its doors in London, England in 1971. Hard Rock encourages and supports local community outreach, as well as annual system-wide corporate initiatives that benefit local and global communities. The wide range of philanthropic causes supported globally is directly tied to the brand mottos – TAKE TIME TO BE KIND; SAVE THE PLANET and ALL IS ONE®. 

At Hard Rock the philanthropic goal is to generate awareness, raise necessary funds and educate guests on pressing issues related to charitable programs and causes. Hard Rock believes that positive change IS possible.  Through a unique global platform of Cafes, Hotels and Casinos reaching 57 countries around-the-world, Hard Rock engages passionate guests, a world-class roster of "Artist Ambassadors" and an incredible team of Hard Rockers to help make the world a better place for those in need and ultimately for us all. Hamish Dodds, President and CEO of Hard Rock International will accept the Spirit of Excellence Award on behalf of Hard Rockers worldwide, both past and present, who have made Hard Rock what it is today. 

Music executive Afo Verde has long been considered a rock star. As Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Latin Iberia (Latin America, Spain and Portugal) he has been responsible for a stream of mega-hits by such acts as Marc Anthony, Shakira, Ricky Martin, Prince Royce, Pitbull, Camila and Romeo Santos to name just a few.  His knowledge of the business, artist relations and artistic contributions are legendary in the industry. Prior to Sony Music, Verde was the director of A&R for BMG Argentina and was later appointed President of Sony Music SUR (Argentina, Chile & Uruguay) in 2005. A renowned composer and producer, he is the recipient of multiple Gold and Platinum awards, the Konex Foundation award as arranger and producer of the decade 1995-2005, Premios Gardel, Grammy™ and Latin Grammy™ awards as producer and songwriter. He took over the reins of Sony's entire Latin operation including the United States Latin division in 2009. Since then he has established the label as a company that offers services as well as new business opportunities to artists, what he prefers to call House of Artists. He has had the honor of working with legendary artists such as Julio Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernandez, Santana, Carlos Vives,  and Chayanne. He is also responsible for developing and expanding in the Latin Iberia region the careers of some outstanding artists of the Sony Music US Labels such as AC/DC, Adele, One Direction, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Tony Bennett, Beyonce, Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and Pharrel Willliams among many others

Legendary music agent Marsha Vlasic represents some of the most distinctive talent in music, including Neil Young, Elvis Costello, The Strokes, Muse, Moby, Band of Horses, Cage The Elephant, Silverspun Pickups, Regina Spektor and Iggy and The Stooges. Over her thirty plus year career she has represented artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, AC/DC, and Van Morrison. Vlasic is a longtime supporter of Neil Young's Bridge School, handling the extraordinary lineup of musicians who perform for the school's annual benefit. She is also an advisory board member of the Global Poverty Project. Vlasic began her career with ATI in the early 1970's and then moved to ICM and later the William Morris Agency.  In 1993, she left William Morris to form her own company, M.V.O. LLC (My Very Own), a premier live concert booking agency.  At MVO, Ms. Vlasic pioneered music festival packaging including Ozzfest and H.O.R.D.E as new live music experiences.  She also organized Moby's Area One and Area Two tours, being one of the first to integrate audiences of rock, urban and electronic music in one venue. Ms. Vlasic's innovative booking strategy has garnered her widespread respect in the music industry. Vlasic is a pioneer for women in the music industry and has been honored annually by Billboard's Women in Music.

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SOURCE T.J. Martell Foundation