City of Hope Announces Larry Mestel as 2026 Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Spirit of Life® Award Recipient

City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry group presents

The 2026 Spirit of Life Gala Honoring

Larry Mestel

Learn More About the Gala and Ways to Support HERE

City of Hope^®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, today announced that Larry Mestel, Founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, will receive the 2026 Spirit of Life® Award for the Music, Film and Entertainment Industry. He will be honored at a gala on October 27, 2026, at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

The Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s most prestigious philanthropic honor, recognizing visionary leaders whose contributions advance innovation, compassion and progress. Mestel is being recognized for his transformative impact on the music industry and his belief in the power of partnership—bringing artists, estates and collaborators together—to create lasting change.

“We are proud to honor Larry Mestel with the Spirit of Life Award,” said Kristin Bertell, chief philanthropy officer at City of Hope. “What stands out about Larry is not just what he’s built, but how he’s built it through trust, partnership and shared vision. At City of Hope, that same approach is what defines our philanthropic community, bringing people together around something bigger than themselves: changing what’s possible for patients and families facing cancer.”

Mestel founded Primary Wave Music in 2006, pioneering a new model for stewarding and expanding the value of iconic music catalogs. Under his leadership, the company has grown into the largest independent music publishing company in the world, representing more than 100,000 songs from legendary artists including Bob Marley, Prince, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Notorious B.I.G., INXS, Olivia Newton John, and James Brown among many others.

Beyond publishing, Primary Wave has evolved into a full-service music publishing company spanning branding, marketing, film and television production, and estate management—bringing creative legacies to new audiences in innovative ways.

“City of Hope represents what’s possible when people come together around a shared purpose,” said Mestel. “In music, collaboration is essential—and that same mindset is critical in the fight against cancer. With my younger sister having passed away from cancer last year, the City of Hope has even more meaning to me, and I am honored to support an organization that is advancing cancer research and care for patients and families.”

Evan Lamberg, president of Universal Music Publishing Group North America and chair of City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry board, emphasized Mestel’s impact and leadership: “We are so honored to have Larry Mestel as our distinguished honoree for City of Hope’s Spirit of Life 2026. Larry and his Primary Wave team have already made a big impact for City of Hope and the event on October 27th, 2026 will certainly be one to remember.”

Alissa Pollack, executive vice president of global music marketing at iHeartMedia and president of City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry board, added: “Larry’s influence on the music industry is undeniable, but what stands out just as much is his commitment to collaboration and long-term impact. The Spirit of Life campaign is a powerful reminder of what this industry can accomplish when we come together, and Larry is the kind of leader who inspires that collective action.”

Mestel’s leadership has earned widespread recognition, including repeated appearances on Billboard’s Power List and Power 100, as well as honors from Goldman Sachs and inclusion in Variety 500. His work as a producer across film, television and immersive experiences further reflects his commitment to storytelling and cultural impact.

The Music, Film and Entertainment Industry has played a vital role in supporting City of Hope for decades, uniting artists, executives and partners in a shared mission to advance research and care. The 2026 campaign will continue that tradition, bringing the industry together in support of progress against cancer. The Spirit of Life Gala will convene leaders from across entertainment, philanthropy and health care for an evening of celebration and purpose. Proceeds will support City of Hope’s innovative research and patient care programs.

Event Details
Date: October 27, 2026
Location: Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles

For more information about the Spirit of Life campaign or to get involved, please visit cityofhope.org/mfei or contact mfeievents@coh.org.

About City of Hope
City of Hope’s mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked top 5 in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope’s uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHope^TM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Lawrence Mestel, Founder & CEO, Primary Wave Music
Lawrence Mestel, Founder & CEO of Primary Wave Music, has been working in the music and entertainment industry for over 30 years. In 2006, Mestel took his extensive experience working at multiple record labels and founded Primary Wave Music, a pioneer in acquiring legendary music catalogs and the largest independent music publishing company in the world. Primary Wave has controlled over 100,000 songs from the catalogs of legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, James Brown, Axl Rose (Guns N’ Roses), The Notorious B.I.G., Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, The Doors, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston, Burt Bacharach, Bing Crosby, Luther Vandross, Andre 3000, Sun Records, and many more. The songs represented by Primary Wave include over 1000 Top 10 singles, and over 400 #1 hits. Originally founded on music publishing, Mestel has strategically and successfully built the company into a full-service music and entertainment powerhouse offering in-house marketing, branding, digital marketing, publicity, sync & licensing, TV & Film development, and estate management.

Mestel was one of the producers behind the critically acclaimed Kurt Cobain documentary film, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and he was part of the team who produced the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody distributed by Sony Pictures. Mestel and Primary Wave are also producers for the Allee Willis documentary, The World According to Allee Willis, and the Luther Vandross documentary, Luther: Never Too Much, and is producing the Bob Marley immersive experience at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

In 2019 Goldman Sachs honored Larry Mestel as one of the “100 most intriguing entrepreneurs” at the annual Goldman Sachs Builders & Inventors summit.  From 2020 through 2023, Mestel landed on Billboard Magazine’s “Power List” being recognized for his leadership in the music industry. In 2024, Mestel was once again featured on the Billboard Power 100, making the magazine’s “Leaderboard” which recognized the top 40 leaders across the music industry. He returned to the “Leaderboard” and Power List once again in 2025. He has also appeared on the Variety 500 three times and has been featured in top press outlets such as New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, New York Post, Forbes, Billboard Magazine, and HITS Magazine.

About City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group 
Inspired by the guiding humanitarian principles of City of Hope and motivated by the institution’s commitment to innovative medical research and compassionate patient care, a group of key industry executives founded City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry group in 1973. In its 50-plus-year history, the group has raised over $180 million for City of Hope and has honored some of the most important figures in the music and entertainment industry.

The Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s most prestigious honor and is presented to an esteemed community of industry leaders around the world who have made a significant commitment to improving the lives of others through the advancement of research and clinical innovation and the delivery of personalized, compassionate care. Past honorees include Tom Corson, Jay Marciano, Lyor Cohen, Shelli and Irving Azoff, Edgar Bronfman Jr., Coran Capshaw, Eddy Cue, Clive Davis, Sir Lucian Grainge, Allen Grubman, Quincy Jones, Rob Light, Monte and Avery Lipman, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, Bob Pittman, Jon Platt and Sylvia Rhone to name a few.