‘The Golden Ticket’: Inside Clive Davis’ Star-Studded Grammy Party

In the tradition of grand show business parties, Clive Davis‘ Pre-Grammy Gala still carries the weight, cachet and star power that has made it a signature part of Grammy week for decades. Colloquially known as the “Clive Party,” named after its iconic host who, at 93, still finds himself squarely smack in the middle of the music industry ecosystem. Who else can woo the likes of Joni Mitchell and Sombr, Martha Stewart and Jack Antonoff, Nancy Pelosi and Rachel Sennott in one room, all among the guest list for its 2026 edition?

But any good bash kicks off with a good drink, in a cocktail hour here where the varied roster of names mingled in an ancillary room at the swank Beverly Hilton, munching on lobster salad and sliders. That includes Cameron Crowe, where he tells Rolling Stone the first time he ever encountered the unstoppable force that is Davis. 

“It was when he first presented Bruce Springsteen in Los Angeles at the Troubadour,” Crowe recalled of what, looking back, was a historic night in 1973 weeks before the release of the Boss’s debut album on Columbia Records. “I remember him making sure Bruce’s jacket looked good; it was like his dad took him to the prom! And Bruce was amazing.”

Just beyond Crowe’s shoulder, as Questlove brushes past him and Jeff Goldblum chatted up the crowd, a (not-drinking) Weird Al Yankovic was standing by the bar waiting, like everybody else, for the proceedings to begin. “I got my first invite to Clive Davis Gala in 2014,” he told Rolling Stone. “It was after I had my first number one album, and it was pretty wild. That was the golden ticket!”

If you’ve been to a wedding where the cocktail hour crowd is herded into the main room for the actual party, it happens the same way here. In fact, much of the Pre-Grammy Gala reminds one of nuptials (or as some guests endearingly refer to it as, Clive’s Bar Mitzvah; Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl also coined the moniker Clive-Aid). 

Suddenly a clinking glass is broadcast over the speakers and the mishmash of names slowly head into the main room where they find a dining room full of tables in covered white table cloths, outfitted with floral centerpieces, bottles of wine, and eventually, a bland chicken dinner. The only thing missing was a bride and groom. 

But we did get a seating chart worthy of clinking glasses — at one table, Lizzo, Gayle King, and Teyana Taylor made for a fabulous trio; at another, Paul Stanley and Matt Sorum held court alongside Gary Dell’Abate from the Howard Stern Show; Elsewhere, the industry’s top executives, including UMG chief Lucian Grainge, Warner Music Group owner Len Blavatnik, Atlantic Records Group head Elliot Grainge, and Sony Music Group CEO Rob Stringer, mingled with well-wishers.

By 9 p.m., instead of a blushing bride, it was Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. welcoming the crowd and introducing CBS anchor King, who herself threw to a surprise introduction, via video, from President Barack Obama to the hushed crowd. 

“I always hate to miss a great party, and I know this is one of the best,” he said before being the first of many to kiss Clive’s ring. “These days, most folks probably don’t realize how much of the music they love, the soundtrack of their lives, was shaped by one man,” Obama said. “Clive isn’t just a legendary music man, he is a force of nature.”

Eventually Davis appeared, sitting at a table on stage left, where he held court for the rest of the night. “The invite goes out, and all of you rush to respond,” he said before transitioning to his famed “shout-outs” where he welcomes guests in the crowd; listing their accomplishments before the audience applauds and they take a bow (also as a way to vamp before the next act appears). “This next act has sold 10 million records… And 20 number one’s on the charts….” he slowly delivers with a sense for theatrics. 

This year, the honor of being shouted out first went to the aforementioned Joni Mitchell (seated with Brandi Carlile), followed by regular party guest Rep. Nancy Pelosi and husband Paul. As the night rolled on, the biggest reactions belonged to Max Martin (who was seated squarely at the plum front table and saw a receiving line of artists including Adam Lambert and Lizzo). Meanwhile, Don Lemon also enjoyed a standing ovation and was besieged by people all night to express their gratitude and support after he was arrested and charged for an anti-ICE protest just two days before. 

Davis said he likes to start off loud, and this year the opening Gala slot went to a tribute to the late Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne, with Machine Gun Kelly Kelly taking on “I Don’t Wanna Stop” and Jelly Roll delivering a melancholy version of Ozzy’s 1991 hit “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” And yes, wife Sharon was in the crowd to take it all in, later holding Jelly’s hands in her face. Then, there was a characteristic musical whiplash immediately after, with Best New Artist nominee Alex Warren performing his crescendo-filled hit “Ordinary,” which got members of the crowd on their feet. 

In fact, like in years past, a variety of Best New Artists would take the stage. Sombr, making his Grammy weekend debut, shouted out bandleader Rickey Minor, as he delivered his rising single “12 to 12” as the room lit up in red as a nod to its music video. He and Noah Kahan had a little lovefest during the performance, with Noah cheering from the front seat. In addition, Olivia Dean, who has been a favorite of Grammy weekend, effervescently sang her breakout “Man I Need,” complete with the Bacharach-style horns featured on the record. After they were done and receiving their applause, each artist would approach Clive, shake his hand, and thank him for the honor.

Speaking of whiplash, the array of performers was like a playlist on shuffle with the night zig-zagging from hip-hop (Clipse and John Legend performing “The Birds Don’t Sing” with the live band replicating the sound of the song’s piano-driven beat) to perennial Davis performer Jennifer Hudson to a Bernie Taupin tribute courtesy of Laufey and the next day’s Grammy Premiere Ceremony host Darren Criss, who performed the songwriter’s classic “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” 

Every year the Pre-Grammy Gala bestows an Industry Icons honor, with Republic Records’ sibling duo of Monte and Avery Lipman accepting the award with help from Grainge and a pre-recorded video from Jimmy Fallon (whose 2024 Christmas album came out on the label).

But Grainge and Fallon weren’t enough: in a seemingly unplanned moment not on the show’s rundown, Stevie Wonder took the stage to also honor the brothers. “I was blessed with being given the spirit of music from the most high,” Wonder said, noting he had to decide who to work with to follow in the footsteps of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. 

“Who could I trust with the gift that God has given me? Who could I believe in? Who could I give what I’ve been given, freely?,” Wonder asked the crowd. “Monte Lipman. Monte, I thank you for your love, I thank you for supporting your brother, because we have to have that family connection for one to understand the value of what we’ve been given, and to do everything you can so that people hear it, they feel it and seek it.” 

Accepting the honor, the Lipmans took the audience on a journey from their early days when they had “nothing” to eventually infiltrating the music industry and becoming a dominant force. The brothers’ many accomplishments including fostering Amy Winehouse to Taylor Swift to the KPop Demon Hunters smash “Golden.” (Singers Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami belted out the latter, with Lizzo singing along enthusiastically from her table. )

“There’s that great Talking Heads song with that wonderful lyric ‘How did I get here?’ and that’s what I’m thinking when I’m up here now,” said Monte before giving thanks to people like his mother (“40 years into it, she still has no idea what we do, straight talk. She’s locked in tonight: scotch, hair, two servings of chicken. She’s in it”), Grainge (“if you want warm and fuzzy, he’s not your guy”), and, of course, Davis whom he called a “fucking gangster who would slit your throat for a hit record.”

Naturally it was Davis who wrapped the night together by welcoming 84-year-old Art Garfunkel to the stage, requesting the audience to stand up for the artist he helped foster (of course alongside partner Paul Simon) when the duo was signed to Davis’ Columbia Records and releasing what he called “the greatest American copyright” in the form of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” 

With that, the band departed save for a pianist and Garfunkel, donning a Philadelphia Phillies cap, read a poem inspired by his father before telling the origin story of his landmark 1970 track. “Bless Clive Davis for taking a chance and putting his faith into such a slow five-minute song. I owe him my career.” And with that, Garfunkel drew the Pre-Grammy Gala to a close to a hushed crowd: just him, a piano, and his voice.

 “Like a bridge over troubled water,” he sang. “I will ease your mind.” And with that, the crowd shuffled out and into the Beverly Hills night.