Black Music Collective
Mariah Carey received the Recording Academy’s Global Impact Award at the 2024 Black Music Collective on Thursday night (Feb. 1), and the elusive chanteuse poked some fun at the Grammys during her speech. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Is this a real Grammy? I haven’t seen […]
Lenny Kravitz has been announced as the first of three 2024 Recording Academy Global Impact Award honorees. The award will be presented at the third annual Recording Academy Honors presented by the Black Music Collective on Thursday (Feb. 1) at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
This is a CEO Merit Award that recognizes Black music creators “whose dedication to the art form has greatly influenced the industry and whose legacy of service inspires countless individuals worldwide, celebrating those who, through leadership and passion, empower others to embrace their authentic selves and contribute to positive change.” Harvey Mason Jr. has been the Academy’s CEO since May 2021, after serving as interim CEO for about a year.
Kravitz won Grammy Awards in four consecutive years (1999-2002) for best male rock vocal performance for “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” “Again” and “Dig In.”
The 2023 Recording Academy Global Impact Award Honorees were Grammy-winning artists Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott and Lil Wayne and leading music executive Sylvia Rhone.
Adam Blackstone will return for the third consecutive year as music supervisor for the Black Music Collective event. MVD Inc will also return for the third consecutive year to produce the event. Music executive and photographer Lenny S will curate the Icons Gallery, an art activation paying tribute to generations of influential Black music icons.
The third annual Recording Academy Honors, sponsored by Amazon Music and City National Bank, will take place three days before the 66th annual Grammy Awards, set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
As previously announced, Kravitz will receive the Music Icon Award at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards on Feb. 18, and will take the stage for a multi-song performance.
Kravitz had both success and disappointment on the awards trail with “Road to Freedom,” which he wrote, performed and produced for the Netflix film Rustin. The soul-stirring anthem brought him a Golden Globe nomination for best original song – motion picture and a Critics Choice Awards nod for best song, but it was passed over on Tuesday Jan. 23 for an Oscar nod for best original song.
Kravitz was selected as a 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee and will release a new album, Blue Electric Light, on May 24.
The Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective (BMC) and Amazon Music selected five students as the recipients of the Your Future Is Now scholarship, designed to give students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) the opportunity to learn and explore all facets of the music industry.
The scholarship, first launched in February 2021, offers students the chance to receive $10,000 for the 2023-24 school year and the opportunity to be part of an immersive rotation program with Amazon Music and Recording Academy department leads, providing each student a detailed look at their particular field of work within the music industry.
The five students chosen are Joseph Michael Abiakam (Norfolk State University), Langston Jackson (Hampton University), Kennedi Amari Johnson (Clark Atlanta University), Courtney Roberts (Texas Southern University), and Caleb Wilkerson (Florida A&M University).
“We are immensely proud to collaborate with Amazon Music in renewing this exceptional scholarship program for the third consecutive year,” Ryan Butler, vp of DEI at the Recording Academy said in a statement. “The imperative of Black representation in the music industry cannot be overstated, and this scholarship is a tangible manifestation of our unwavering commitment to promoting the aspirations of future Black music leaders.”
“The Your Future Is Now scholarship was created to foster an inclusive environment where Black creators can realize their career objectives,” Phylicia Fant, head of music industry and culture collaborations at Amazon Music, said in a statement. “…This year’s class of students represents the next generation of Black musicians and executives, and it’s an honor to play a part in their development as individuals and future leaders.”
The BMC and Amazon Music will also award two HBCUs a $10,000 grant each for equipment for their music programs to be announced later this summer.
In addition, as part of Your Future Is Now, Amazon Music, The Same House and the Recording Academy are coming together to host the Your Future is Now Business Development Seminar for select members of the 2023 graduating class of Morris Brown College. Revealed this past weekend at Morris Brown’s commencement by the Recording Academy’s chief DEI officer, Zing Shaw, this new, half-day music business seminar taking place on June 17 will offer professional development expertise in music business, publishing and music production. Facilitators at the event will include Recording Academy’s Atlanta chapter president Justin Henderson and Frankie Yaptinchay of Amazon Music.
Following the music business seminar, graduates will be treated to a suite experience at State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the annual ATL Birthday Bash Concert where they will have the opportunity to network with representatives from the Recording Academy and Amazon Music, as well as other key music industry executives.
For more information on the Black Music Collective and the Your Future Is Now scholarship, visit here.
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