Grainge built his own independent record label, amassing dozens of platinum records and global hits in his short yet storied career. Now he’s leading one of the most legendary record labels in history into the future.
Elliot Grainge, the CEO of Atlantic Music Group and a Northeastern graduate, will be the speaker at the university’s 2025 undergraduate commencement.
The ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, at Fenway Park in Boston.
Atlantic played a pivotal role in the careers of such acclaimed artists as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin, and more recently Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Charli xcx.
After establishing his powerhouse indie label 10K Projects, Grainge was tapped, at just 30 years old, to lead Atlantic Music Group’s next chapter.
“Returning to Northeastern to speak at commencement is really meaningful to me,” Grainge said. “This university and my experience in Boston in general helped shape not only the way I think about business and creativity but helped me build a foundation as an independent thinker and entrepreneur.
“I’m so excited to share my experience with the Class of 2025 and encourage them to trust their own vision as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.”
The British-born Grainge grew up with music running through his veins — his grandfather owned a record store in 1950s in London. As a student at Northeastern, he quickly plugged into Boston’s eclectic music scene, booking concerts and running a club promotion business at various venues in Boston.
“Elliot is a powerhouse of talent who has turned his Northeastern experience into a successful career,” Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun said. “His gift of recognizing musical talent and helping artists build their own careers has made him a creative force in the industry. His prowess in riding the waves of technology to expand music’s possibilities — and his use of data to validate his approach — has made him a transformative leader.
“His alma mater may not be far in the rearview mirror,” Aoun continued, “but the path he has forged is remarkable. We welcome him back to Northeastern to share his experience with our graduating students.”
After graduating from Northeastern, Grainge moved to Los Angeles and founded his own record label, 10K Projects. Grainge leveraged his hard won experience in Boston, his knowledge of the music industry, business acumen and abilities as a digital native to transform a fledgling record company into one of the most successful indie labels in the business.
He used the tools of the digital age like Soundcloud and TikTok to find and super charge the careers of hit artists like xxxtentacion, Ice Spice, Trippie Redd, Surfaces, Internet Money and many others, amassing a catalog of platinum albums and singles in a just a few years.
In 2019, Grainge established 10K Together, a charitable division of the record label’s operations that focuses on committing to the global fight against racism by supporting Black-owned businesses and racial justice charities.
In 2023, Grainge joined Warner Music Group after the company acquired a majority stake in 10K Projects. Only a year later, he stepped into his current role as CEO of Atlantic Music Group, which not only includes Atlantic Records but 10K Projects and 300 Entertainment as well.
Atlantic is an institution that comes with 77 years of history, nurturing the careers of some of the most influential artists in the world. Grainge has been tasked with nurturing the next generation of Atlantic talent that spans genres and continents, ensuring one of the music industry’s biggest players has a future.
Recent Northeastern undergraduate commencement speakers have included Morehouse College President David A. Thomas, founder of Minted Mariam Naficy, paralympian Aimée Mullins, best-selling author Tara Westover, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Greek yogurt brand Chobani.