City of Hope, one of the top 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: past honorees include Warner Music’s Tom Corson, AEG Presents’ Jay Marciano, YouTube’s Lyor Cohen, Republic’s Monte and Avery Lipman, former Epic Records chief Sylvia Rhone and Sony Music Publishing’s Jon Platt.
“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 and has built the company into one of the most successful promoters of music catalogs, 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.
“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.”
For more information about the Spirit of Life campaign or to get involved, please visit cityofhope.org/mfei or contact [email protected].
English (US) ·