Ross Jacob Golan (born April 8, 1980) is an American songwriter, record producer and playwright.
Life and career Early career Golan graduated from Deerfield High School (Illinois) of Deerfield, Illinois in 1998. He studied music at the University of Southern California, and has since released songs with artists including Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Nicki Minaj, Gwen Stefani, Lady Antebellum, Michael Bublé, Selena Gomez, Keith Urban, Ariana Grande, Flo Rida, Enrique Iglesias, One Direction, P!nk, The Dixie Chicks, Pitbull, Lauv, Idina Menzel, Nelly, Luis Fonsi, Marshmello, Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, Cee Lo Green, 5 Seconds of Summer, Linkin Park, Prince Royce, Snoop Dogg, Charlie Puth, James Taylor, Avril Lavigne, Little Mix, Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Caillat, Andy Grammer, James Blunt, Big Sean, Travis Barker, Lukas Graham, Sabrina Carpenter, Skylar Grey, Rixton, The Vamps and Icona Pop, among others. He is the 2016 BMI "Pop Songwriter of the Year" and is currently published by Warner/Chappell Music. His concept album The Wrong Man was released worldwide by Interscope Records on 26 July 2019. He is the host of the podcast And The Writer Is and the co-chair of the Grammy’s Songwriters and Composers Wing.
Early record deals Golan had multiple record deals, the first in 2003 with Insider Trading Corporation/EMI, which was a label he started while in school. The label teamed up with EMI's then-president Phil Quatararo, releasing Reagan Baby. After that, Golan co-founded Glacier Hiking, which had a hybrid publishing/label deal with Lionsgate - the band released a self-titled EP before breaking up in 2009.
The Wrong Man Golan developed a musical called The Wrong Man, based on the concept music album, which is about a man who is wrongly accused of a crime committed in Reno, Nevada. A one-man version of the show, starring Golan, ran in Los Angeles in February 2014 and received three Ovation Award wins out of four nominations. The musical made its way to New York City, playing Off-Broadway to previews beginning 18 September 2019, with an October 7 opening and scheduled run through 24 November 2019 at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space. The full-cast stage production included Tony winners and nominees Tommy Kail, Alex Lacamoire and Joshua Henry. The Wrong Man received 9 Drama Desk Awards nominations including Best Musical and 3 Lucille Lortel Awards nominations. The show was also honored with four Outer Critics Circle Awards including best original score for Golan.
The concept album was released worldwide by Interscope Records on 26 July 2019. That version made it to the big screen, with an animated film adaptation written and performed by Golan. The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019.
Song credits TitleYearArtistAlbum"Anyway"2011Cee Lo GreenThe Lady Killer: Platinum Edition"Hold Up"2011Demi LovatoUnbroken"Take You"2012Justin BieberBelieve"Marilyn Monroe"2012Nicki MinajPink Friday: Roman Reloaded"Wipe Your Eyes"2012Maroon 5Overexposed"Happening"2012MedinaForever"Compass"2013Lady AntebellumGolden"Shame"2013Keith UrbanFuse"You Are Fire"2013Prince RoyceSoy el Mismo"Back From The Dead feat. Big Sean and Travis Barker"2013Skylar GreyDon't Look Down"When I Find Love Again"2013James BluntMoon Landing"3,000 Miles"2013Emblem3Nothing to Lose"Let It Rain"2013Eliza DoolittleIn Your Hands"Unkiss Me"2014Maroon 5V"Mrs All American"20145 Seconds of Summer5 Seconds of Summer"Stuck on a Feeling"2014Prince RoyceDouble Vision"Live It Up"2014Colbie CaillatGypsy Heart"Nice Guys""Love Pretenders"2014The Madden BrothersGreetings from California"Empty Spirits""Same Old Love"2015Selena GomezRevival"Survivors""Cologne""My House"2015Flo RidaMy House"If I Could Fly"2015One DirectionMade in the A.M."Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)"2015Andy GrammerMagazines or Novels"Painkiller (featuring Meghan Trainor)"2015Jason DeruloEverything Is 4"Talk About You"2015MIKANo Place In Heaven"Take The World By Storm"2015Lukas GrahamLukas Graham"What Happened To Perfect""Funeral""Wait on Me"2015RixtonLet the Road"Appreciated""Don't Cry For Me"2015Martina StoesselTini"80's Films"2015Jon BellionThe Human Condition"Wake Up"2015The VampsWake Up"I Found A Girl""Held By Me""Dangerous Woman"2016Ariana GrandeDangerous Woman"Fresh Eyes"2016Andy GrammerThe Good Parts"Zillionaire"2016Flo RidaZillionaire"Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow"2016Michael BubléNobody But Me"Hopeless Romantic"2016Meghan TrainorThank You"Mom""Small World"2016Idina Menzelidina."Then There's You"2016Charlie PuthNine Track Mind"You Gotta Not"2016Little MixGlory Days"Sounds Good to Me"2017NellySounds Good to Me"Halfway Right"2017Linkin ParkOne More Light"Barbies"2017P!nkBeautiful Trauma"Change" featuring James Taylor2018Charlie PuthVoicenotes"Diamonds Are Forever"2018Sabrina CarpenterSingular Act I"Exhale"2019Singular Act II"Lovers Never Die"2019Celine DionCourage"Sola"2019Luis FonsiVida"Goddess"2019Avril LavigneHead Above Water"El Tejano"2020LauvHow I'm Feeling"March March"2020The ChicksGaslighter"Feel Me"2020Selena GomezRare"Happy Now"2021PentatonixThe Lucky Ones"Let Me Reintroduce Myself"2022Gwen StefaniLet Me Reintroduce Myself"Walk It Out"2022New Hope ClubL.U.S.H."L.U.S.H.""Getting Better"2022Getting Better"Girl Who Does Both"2022"Goodbye"2022Mimi WebbGoodbye"I'll Be"2023Celine DionLove Again soundtrack"Slow Low"2023Jason DeruloSlow Low"Single Soon"2023Selena GomezSingle Soon"Layers"2025Jolin TsaiPleasure"Pleasure"
Podcast Golan is also the podcast host of And the Writer Is... which is co-produced by Joe London. It has garnered three million downloads.
Advocacy In 2016, Golan co-authored an initiative to include songwriters in the Grammy Awards "Album of the Year" category, and 2017 marked the first year a songwriter received a statue for the award. In 2018, he was a leading voice in the Music Modernization Act. In 2019, he became the first songwriter to sit on the board of directors of the National Music Publishers Association in the 100-plus year history of that organization. In 2021, he advocated to have the 33% rule eradicated from the Grammy Awards "Album of the Year" category and in 2022, all songwriters, producers and engineers who worked on a nominated album will for the first time be recognized as nominees.
Awards and nominations Ovation Awards 2014: Winner, "Video/Projection Design" - Michael Hoy and Adam Flemming, for the Skylight Theatre Company production of The Wrong Man. 2014: Winner, "Lyrics/Music for an Original Musical" - Ross Golan, for the Skylight Theatre Company production of The Wrong Man. 2014: Winner, "Book for an Original Musical" - Ross Golan, for the Skylight Theatre Company production of The Wrong Man. 2014: Nominee, "Best Production of a Musical (Intimate Theatre)" - Skylight Theatre Company, for the production of The Wrong Man.
BMI Awards 2016: Winner, "Pop Songwriter of the Year".
Outer Critics Circle Award 2020: Winner, "Best Original Score" - for the MCC production of The Wrong Man.
Drama Desk Award 2020: Nominee, "Outstanding Score" - for the MCC production of The Wrong Man. 2020: Nominee, "Outstanding Musical" - for the MCC production of The Wrong Man.
References