Coco Jones, Laufey & Samara Joy Bring Wisdom & New Music to 2025 GRAMMY U Conference In NYC

On Friday and Saturday (April 25-26), hundreds of young professionals got a look behind the veil of the music industry with some help from Grammy winners Coco Jones, Samara Joy and Laufey — as well as the Recording Academy’s New York chapter.

Hosted at Racket NYC in Chelsea, the Mastercard-presented 2025 Grammy U Conference featured two jam-packed days of networking opportunities, panel discussions, headshot stations and various activations spearheaded by industry professionals across disciplines. The two-day conference aimed to educate 18-29-year-olds actively pursuing careers in the music industry. From publicists and songwriters to DEI coordinators and engineers, virtually every music industry field had a representative at the sprawling conference.

Jones, who released debut studio album Why Not More? on the same day, headlined the first day of the conference, participating in a lively, edifying panel hosted by Grammy U Atlanta chapter representative Jasmine Gordon. Titled “Crafting A Multifaceted Career,” Jones’ panel provided the audience with an honest look at how she balances her multi-platinum musical career with her robust acting portfolio.

Many students in the audience grew up alongside Jones as she transitioned from Disney starlet to Grammy-winning R&B siren — she took home best R&B performance for “ICU” in 2023 — so her industry insights felt particularly pertinent. From stressing the power of positive affirmations (“You gotta be delulu till it’s true-true!” she quipped) to the benefits of an entrepreneurial DIY mindset, Jones dropped several gems during her talk, while excited audience members quoted lyrics from her hours-old new album.

“The Grammys and the Recording Academy do so much for creatives that I want to help shine a light on,” Jones told Billboard minutes before she graced the stage. “The awards are obviously life-changing, but it’s also about keeping the lights on in that apartment while you’re writing songs. It’s also about helping somebody further their education on what this business is really like. I feel like it’s my duty to help highlight that. I see myself in these students.”

Following Jones’ chat, Grammy U mounted two additional panels — one on the world of sync licensing, and another on the evolution of influencers and digital media — before breaking for the day at 10:00 p.m. E.T. Bob Bruderman, Blu DeTiger and Riggs Morales led the panel on sync licensing, A&R and brand partnerships, while content creators Davis Burleson, Anthony Garguila, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, and Jonathan Tilkin headlined the night’s closing panel.

Pop-soul band Lawrence, who scored a divisive viral hit on TikTok with last year’s “Whatcha Want,” kicked off the conference’s second day by sharing an unflinching look at the studio sessions for their 2024 album Family Business. Band members Clyde Lawrence, Jordan Cohen and Jonny Koh projected their ProTools sessions and broke down how Tower of Power’s influence, hours of improvisation, ambitious songwriting collaborations and meticulous mixing of live and programmed drums gave way to album cuts like “Hip Replacement” and “Death of Me.”

Icelandic-Chinese jazz-pop star Laufey, who won the traditional pop vocal album Grammy for Bewitched in 2023, closed out the day with an equally charismatic and insightful keynote panel, moderated by TikTok game show “Track Star” host Jack Coyne. In their discussion, Laufey stressed the importance of her classical music foundation, detailed her Coachella debut alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and explained how she found the fearlessness to write songs across a range of genres.

“Growing up, I felt like there wasn’t quite enough transparency on how the industry worked, how teams and artists are built, how you build and sustain a career, all of that,” she told Billboard shortly before her panel. “I was so recently a student that I felt this need to talk to kids who are in my footsteps and be transparent about what it’s like and show all the different opportunities that are available.”

Laufey, who dropped her “Silver Lining” single earlier this month, also treated the Grammy U Conference to the first-ever performance of her forthcoming new single, “Tough Luck.” Billed as an “angry, f–k you” song, Laufey performed the track accompanied by just an acoustic guitar. “You say, ‘I can’t read your mind,’ but I’m reading it just fine/ You think you’re so misunderstood, the black cat of your neighborhood,” she crooned, nailing her debut performance of the track.

After a break, the conference reconvened at the iconic Bowery Electric for a Grammy U & DEI showcase, headlined by five-time Grammy-winning jazz sensation Samara Joy. Before the Bronx native took the stage, three talented Grammy U performers — selected in collaboration with the Recording Academy’s New York chapter — treated the crowd to impressive sets. Neo-soul crooner Isea, saxophone-fronted jazz band The Jax Experience and new-school rock band The Millers all repped the region well, with each act winning over several new fans by the end of their performances.

Of course, Joy brought the house down with a rousing set comprised of cuts from her 2024 album Portrait, including standout tracks “No More Blues” and “Peace of Mind / Dreams Come True.” With upcoming performances in Brazil (Aug. 2) — while speaking with Billboard before her performance, she teased a forthcoming bossa nova-influenced single in which she may be singing in Portuguese — and at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall (April 30), Joy reminded the Bowery crowd why she’s one of today’s most celebrated live vocalists.

“I’m inspired by my peers and folks younger than me who are passionate about music. I want to be in spaces where I’m surrounded by like-minded people,” she told Billboard moments before lighting up the Bowery Electric. “That’s what my band is, I like presenting that collaboration and sense of community as we develop and grow.”

As diversity efforts and arts education continue to face relentless attacks, the 2025 Grammy U Conference helped equip the next generation with the necessary insight to shape and protect the industry’s future.