ABOUT THE WINNER
Serona Elton is an experienced music industry professional and educator. She is a full professor and the Interim Vice Dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She is also Director/Chair of the Music Industry Program/Department at the school, as well as a Yamaha Master Educator. Additionally, she serves as Head of Educational Partnerships for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC).
Previously, Elton worked for Warner Music Group where she held the position of Vice President, Product Management, and EMI Recorded Music North America where she was Vice President, Mechanical Licensing and Repertoire Data Services. She has also provided consulting services to Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Zumba Fitness, and other music-related companies.
A respected expert, Elton has written numerous articles and book chapters about the music industry and is a co-author of the book Music Business Handbook and Career Guide (13th edition). She is recognized by many for her extensive insight into licensing, royalties, and music industry processes and structures, and has contributed to news stories for NPR’s Marketplace, CNN.com, Billboard, and other outlets. She was awarded the first-ever Music Business Educator of the Year Bizzy Award by the Music Business Association in 2023, and was awarded the Mondo Innovator Award in Education in 2026.
Elton serves as a member on the College Music Society's Council on Music Business-Industry and serves as a Director-at-Large on the American Musicological Society Board of Directors. Elton is also a speaker in the U.S. Department of State Speaker Program. Previously, she has served as president of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), a trustee of the Copyright Society, chair of the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section, and a governor on the Recording Academy, Florida Chapter, Board of Governors. She was also formerly a member of the Promoting Peace, Education, and Cultural Exchange (PEACE) Through Music Award Committee, which was part of the U.S. Department of State Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. She is also an alumna of the Nashville-based Leadership Music program, and a licensed attorney in New York and Florida.
Elton holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Florida, an M.M. in Music Industry from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She also holds certifications in Instructional Design and Technology, and in Lean Six Sigma (Yellow Belt). Elton resides in South Florida.