Laura Segura Quietly Exits MusiCares—What’s Going On?

Photo Credit: Randee St. Nicholas Photography

Executive Director of MusiCares Laura Segura has departed the role after five years, according to an email sent to staff by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.

The abrupt departure was announced to staff over the Memorial Day weekend, while the Recording Academy itself is not responding to press inquiries about the exit. Reports of the memo called the exit a “key leadership transition” and stated that Segura is “no longer with MusiCares.” For now, Theresa Wolters, who previously served as the organization’s head of health and human services has stepped into the role of interim executive director.

This change has already been reflected on the MusiCares website, which no longer lists Segura and now includes Wolters with her interim title. Neither the Recording Academy nor MusiCares have responded to requests for comment about the leadership change. A cursory glance at Laura Segura’s LinkedIn page shows it has not been updated to reflect this change.

MusiCares was founded in 1989 as a charitable organization and has paid out over $100 million in relief to musicians and music executives. That includes more than $30 million in relief funds due to the COVID pandemic and more than $10 million in LA wildfire relief funds due to fires earlier this year. MusicCares raised $16 million through its Fire Relief campaign and its annual Persons of the Year gala, in which the Grateful Dead were honored.

Before joining MusiCares, Segura served as Vice President of Membership and Industry Relations at the Recording Academy for seven years. She was named Pollstar’s “Women of Live” list in 2025 and appeared in their “Impact 50” list in 2021. She also received numerous name drops in Billboard’s “Women in Music Top Executive” list from 2020, 2022, and 2023. Segura is based in Santa Monica, California and is a Board Director at the Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation since January 2023.

View the full article