Recording Academy

In their roles, Taylor Hanson and Dani Deahl will help guide the Recording Academy’s advocacy efforts, shape the organization’s legislative priorities, and champion creators’ rights at both the state and federal levels.

The Recording Academy has announced the new appointment of Taylor Hanson and the reappointment of Dani Deahl as Co-Chairs of its National Advocacy Committee, a group of performers, songwriters, producers, and engineers dedicated to championing creators’ rights at both the state and federal levels. The National Advocacy Committee plays a vital role in shaping the organization’s legislative priorities in close collaboration with the Recording Academy’s Advocacy & Public Policy team in Washinton, D.C.

Serving her second consecutive term as Co-Chair, Dani Deahl is a DJ, producer, former Recording Academy Chicago Chapter President, and current Academy National Trustee. A strong advocate for creators’ rights, Deahl testified before the Illinois House and Senate in 2024 in support of HB 4875, a bill modernizing the state’s right of publicity law to protect creators from AI misuse. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law last year. Deahl has also participated in the Record Academy’s annual GRAMMYs on the Hill initiative and took part in the inaugural GRAMMYs on the Hill Future Forum in 2024, where she joined GRAMMY-nominated artist Kokayi and the Academy’s Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer Todd Dupler on a panel to discuss the positive potential of AI in music and creativity. Deahl has also served as the head of communications & creator insights at BandLab since 2022.

Multi-GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur Taylor Hanson has spent more than three decades in the music industry, selling more than 16 million albums as part of the pop/rock trio HANSON. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hanson has long supported music education and advocacy through initiatives like the Recording Academy’s GRAMMYs on the Hill and Music Advocacy Day as well as Save The Music. Hanson has also worked to expand the Academy’s state advocacy work in Oklahoma and founded Food On The Move, a nonprofit dedicated to combating hunger and food deserts in Oklahoma, which launched the Food Home Project in 2022 to expand access to fresh food in North Tulsa. He and his brothers were inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2019, and in 2025, Hanson will receive the state’s highest honor as an inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. This marks Hanson’s first term as Co-Chair of the Academy’s National Advocacy Committee.

Additional new National Advocacy Committee members include GRAMMY winner Sean Patrick Flahaven, nine-time GRAMMY nominee Matt Maher, GRAMMY nominee Maggie Rose, and three-time GRAMMY nominee Divinity Roxx, who join Recording Academy Chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Chelsey Green. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and the Academy’s Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer Todd Dupler serve as ex-officio members.

As National Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs, Deahl and Hanson will help guide the Recording Academy’s advocacy efforts across key policy priority areas, including:

• The NO FAKES Act: This legislation aims to protect artists from unauthorized digital replicas created through artificial intelligence (AI).
• Protecting copyrighted works from being used in the unauthorized training of AI models.
• The American Music Tourism Act: This bill directs the Department of Commerce to create a national strategy to expand music tourism across the U.S.
• Live event ticketing reform to provide transparency in ticket pricing and ban the sale of speculative tickets.
• The American Music Fairness Act: This bill seeks to establish a performance right for recordings broadcast by terrestrial radio.

New Jersey Stage

(LEFT to RIGHT) Isaac Hanson, Zac Hanson, and Taylor Hanson. Photos by Ilana Rapp

When someone asked me what the audience demographic was for the band Hanson, my response was, “Probably people in their 50’s.” Boy, was I wrong!

Hanson, which consists of three brothers from Oklahoma – Isaac, Taylor, and Zac – put on a killer show at the bergenPAC in Englewood, NJ, on October 23, 2025. No fancy screens, no pyrotechnics, just the guys and two other musicians, Dimitrius Collins and Andrew Perusi, who filled out the songs with fantastic precision.

The 1,300+ theater was packed with people of all ages, mostly teen girls and women in their 20’s. What made this concert so special was the harmonies, venue atmosphere, and nostalgia — which is funny considering a huge chunk of the audience wasn’t even alive yet when the band’s breakout song MmmBop hit the airwaves in 1997.

Background on the Band

A fun little tidbit is that Isaac and Taylor both use their middle names as their stage names, with Isaac’s legal name being “Clarke Isaac Hanson” and Taylor’s being “Jordan Taylor Hanson”. In case you’re wondering what Zac’s full name is, it’s “Zachary Walker Hanson”.

The fact that they continue to live and work out of their hometown, Tulsa, underscores their grounded approach and authenticity. They’re the three oldest siblings out of seven, and grew up in a very musical household.

In the early days of the band, they didn’t realize how large of a following they had. Weeks after their debut album Middle of Nowhere was released (the album that MmmBop is on), the band was scheduled to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman. The record label also scheduled them for an appearance the day before at Paramus Park Mall in Paramus, New Jersey (go Jersey!), but the boys were so nervous about appearing on David Letterman, they just wanted to relax and emotionally prepare for their big evening on national television. Well, the band was told they’ve GOT to go to Paramus Park… and so they did… and were shocked to see an estimated 8,000 people there! Want to hear the story “in person”? Watch the video clip from the Bergen PAC concert!

The Harmonies & Musical Performance

Having listened to the Hanson brothers since the beginning, I knew they had something special with their harmonies. It was definitely an interesting time when their baby voices started changing into their adolescence and then adulthood voices, and how they’d start playing the songs in lower octaves to match their “new” sound.

At the bergenPAC concert, the three brothers weaved their voices into beautiful moments. Isaac led a vocal line while Taylor and Zac layered beautifully close harmonies behind him — the kind of blend that can only come from siblings who have sang together their whole lives. Zac’s drums were crisp but not overpowering, Taylor’s piano added color, and Isaac’s guitar anchored the groove. Their setlist balanced nostalgia (“MMMBop”, “Penny & Me”) with deeper cuts and newer material, including a song from their Members Only club! Zac sung lead on that one, and it was just beautiful. (By the way, Zac turned 40 years old the day before the concert!)  40?!

The Concert Experience at Bergen PAC

The venue itself provided an intimate yet grand setting — the acoustics allowed the harmonies to shine, the lighting swelled at key moments, and the audience was a mix of longtime fans (some with their children) and younger attendees discovering Hanson for the first time. The crowd sang along to the hits, cheered after each guitar solo, and there was a genuine warmth in the room.

Getting back to the lighting – I always wondered how the technicians know exactly when to “bang” the lights during an emphasized drum beat. Is there really time for a full rehearsal or is there just a sound check? If anyone knows the answer to this, please let me know!

The setlist moved at a comfortable pace with the show being an even two hours with no intermission. Each brother got to shine by doing their own solo. It was really fun to watch them switch instruments.

Themes, Values & What the Band Stands For

What sets Hanson apart from many nostalgic acts is that they still feel purposeful. Their bond as brothers is visible — not just in matching voices, but in how they share the stage, cue each other, joke together, and support one another musically. This sibling-unity is central to their identity.

They’re also grounded: they still call Tulsa home, they’ve built their own label and career on their terms, and they’ve avoided the more destructive trappings of fame. And in interviews, they’ve spoken openly about being proud of their 90s origins while still moving forward.

Reflection & Context

Seeing Hanson now — decades into their career — there’s less of the “boy-band” flash and more of a mature, tight-knit rock/pop outfit with something to say. The harmonies that grabbed people’s attention in 1997 are still here, but enriched by time, experience, and musicianship.

In terms of nostalgia vs. freshness: they struck a good balance. Long-time fans got the hits they came for, but the band also gave space to newer material. The audience seemed appreciative of both. For a fan of Hanson’s early era, this concert delivered more than remembered blasts — it offered proof that the band has grown without losing what made them special. At no time did I feel a dip in energy – it was pure adrenaline the whole way through.

The Hanson show at bergenPAC was a reminder of loving music built by people who still respect it. I got the same cozy feeling when I saw the band at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, and more recently at the park in Burlington County, NJ. If you’re wondering whether Hanson still has it, the answer is yes. They’re not just a ‘90s flashback, they’re a living-and-breathing musical force that knows its roots and still has something to offer.

Parade

The “MMMBop” singer, 42, enjoyed a night out at the ballroom with his eldest daughter.

Key Points

• Taylor Hanson was spotted in the ‘Dancing With the Stars audience’ with daughter Penny.
• Fans reacted excitedly on social media after noticing him during the ‘Wicked’ night episode.
• Taylor continues to perform with his brothers in Hanson and has been attending recent star-studded events with his children.

We know Taylor Hanson when we see him! Eagle-eyed Hanson fans were watching Dancing With the Stars’ Wicked night on Tuesday, October 21, when they spotted the three-time Grammy nominee in the crowd, sitting at a table next to his eldest daughter, Penny.

The 42-year-old musician — who rose to fame in 1997 with brothers Isaac and Zac Hanson due to their smash hit, “MMMBop” — grinned from ear to ear while applauding and looking over at Penny, who turned 20 in April. The father-daughter-duo were dressed in their best, with Taylor looking dapper in a blazer and Penny rocking a long, black dress. Elsewhere in the crowd, fans spotted other stars like Sofia Carson and past DWTS contestant (and Olympian) Ilona Maher. (Spoiler alert for DWTS fans who have yet to watch Tuesday night’s episode: Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold have been eliminated.)

Upon catching a glimpse of the “I Was Born” rocker in the crowd, fans immediately took to social media to verify that they were actually seeing Taylor in the audience.

“TAYLOR HANSON IN THE DWTS AUDIENCE?!?! 😭😭😭😭,” one person wrote in all-caps on X (formerly known as Twitter.)

“Oh hi there Taylor Hanson in the audience #DWTS,” another tweeted.

One fan even joked that tuning in just to see Taylor was worth sitting through the Wicked theme.