diversity
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday (July 10) announced the second year of the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative, a career development program for Black musicians interested in composing music for film. The program, launched in 2022, provides real-world experience, one-on-one mentorship and networking opportunities with an aim to foster broader representation in film music composition.
The program is named in memory of the late South African jazz musician, composer and producer Jonas Gwangwa. Gwangwa, who died in January 2021 at age 83, received a pair of Oscar nominations for best original score and best original song for his collaboration, with George Fenton, on Cry Freedom (1987).
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Program partners are Universal Music Group’s (UMG) Task Force for Meaningful Change (TFMC), Mercury Studios, Universal Music Publishing Group Classics and Screen, Decca Records and UMG’s Globe.
The program is open to U.K.-based and U.S.-based Black artists and composers with at least three years of work experience as a musician. Four participants, two in the U.K. and two in the U.S., will be selected through an application process. Participants will receive access to Academy members across various branches to gain an understanding of the filmmaking process; one-on-one mentorship with a member of the Academy’s Music Branch to learn about the practical aspects of composing for film; access to Academy events and screenings in London and Los Angeles; and introductions to leading practitioners from all areas of film music, among other mentorship programming.
Participants will be matched with a filmmaker who is in the process of making a short film and will be given the opportunity to compose music for the film. Each participant will receive a grant to help support their film composition projects.
“After an incredibly successful first year, the Academy is excited for the second year of Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative,” Kendra Carter, academy senior vice president, impact and global talent development, said in a statement. “Our goal for this program is to stimulate long-term career opportunities within the film industry for underrepresented musicians, and we thank our partners within Universal Music Group and our Academy members, whose passion, dedication and expertise enable this work.”
“The life and legacy of Jonas Gwangwa’s commitment as an artist-activist who used music as a tool for social change is undeniable and it’s an honor to celebrate him with this program,” said Menna Demessie, Ph.D., senior vice president, UMG and executive director, Task Force for Meaningful Change. “This initiative will continue to help create space for a more diverse cadre of film music composers and ultimately provide career opportunities that will advance the industry itself.”
Applications for the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative are currently open. For more information, visit the Academy’s website.
The late, Grammy-winning conductor Seiji Ozawa; Matt Cameron, drummer for Pearl Jam; and Grammy-nominated concert violinist Anne Akiko Meyers are among the Asian Hall of Fame’s class of 2024 inductees. The class will be announced at a kick-off event, “Celebrate Asia Festival,” on May 1 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
The Celebrate Asia Festival is an annual benefit for the Women Founders Fund, which supports diversity among women in tech, entertainment and the arts. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
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Ozawa, who died Feb. 6 at age 88, was recognized internationally through his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna State Opera and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He won a Grammy in 2016 for best opera recording for Ravel: L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade.
Cameron first gained fame as the drummer for Soundgarden, which he joined in 1986. He appeared on each of the band’s studio albums until its breakup in 1997. In 1998, Cameron was invited to join Pearl Jam’s Yield Tour and then became a permanent member of the band. Cameron has won two Grammys for his work with Pearl Jam: best metal performance for “Spoonman” and best hard rock performance for “Black Hole Sun.”
Meyers received her first Grammy nod late last year for Fandango, a live recording with Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic, which was nominated for best classical compendium. Her 2023-24 season includes performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic.
Here’s a quick look at this year’s three other music-connected honorees:
John Paris, drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire since 2001, played on Asian Hall of Fame’s Down by the Water charity album for human trafficking rescue.
Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, who performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” on American Idol at age seven (and was given a golden ticket by judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to come back and compete in 2027) is the recipient of the Asian Innovation Award. The prize includes a grant check, invitation to record a song with pianist Ed Roth at the private studio of Robby Krieger, and opportunities to perform at the May Festival and October Ceremony.
Lydia Lee, choir director at John Muir Middle School in Burbank, Calif., is recipient of the Asian Women in the Arts Prize for her work in music education. Her choir will perform Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” in German with a professional adult choir and ensemble at the Oct. 19 induction ceremony.
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The founder of athletic wear giant Lululemon is facing renewed backlash after expressing his dislike for the company’s diversity & and equality initiatives, prompting the company to distance itself.
In an interview, Lululemon founder Chip Wilson caused more controversy when he expressed his dismay about the company’s diversity and equality initiative efforts, referring to it as a “whole diversity and inclusion thing.” The Vancouver, British Columbia native spoke to Forbes Magazine for an in-depth profile interview when he made those remarks. He began by commenting on the women-centered brand’s models in their advertisements, calling them “unhealthy,” “sickly” and “not inspirational.”
Wilson would go further, stating: “They’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody. And I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody… You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.” The 67-year-old billionaire also belittled Lululemon’s move to include larger-sized people by having clothing that fits individuals up to size 20 in its six core styles, and considered their expansion into men’s wear “appalling.”
Wilson stepped down from the company in 2013 after remarking that the see-through effect of leggings from the athleisure brand could be blamed on “some women’s bodies.” “It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time,” he stated. In a 2004 interview with the Canada National Post Business Magazine, he drew sharp criticism after revealing his inspiration for naming Lululemon: “I recognized that the Japanese consumer liked a name with an L in it because the letter isn’t in the Japanese language. It sounded American,” he said at the time. “So I thought if I ever have another company I am going to put three L’s in it,” before adding “It’s funny to watch them try and say it.”
According to former employees interviewed last November, that culture of discrimination still exists. A statement released by Lululemon in response to Wilson’s remarks slammed the founder, saying: “Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs. Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today.” The spokesperson added, “We also recognize that becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization takes time and is only possible through the sustained efforts of our leaders and our people.”
I’m a California-raised Filipino American who spent my formative years (in the mid-aughts) worshiping bands like Death Cab for Cutie and much of the Myspace-era Warped Tour scene. So when I was 16, I decided to pursue my dream of starting my own band. But as I took a closer look at the artists I loved, the realization hit: Apart from Joey Santiago of the Pixies (who is Filipino), there was no one who looked like me.
Even as I transitioned into the business side of the music industry — working at large management companies, agencies and in touring — the lack of diversity was hard to ignore. And while the industry has changed a lot since I was a teenager, it still has so much room to grow.
As an active songwriter and senior director of A&R at Angry Mob Music Publishing, I’m a big advocate for songwriting camps and the significant opportunity they offer to everyone involved. I recently joined an organization called Mono Stereo Groove, which focuses on the representation of AAPI songwriters in the industry, and, inspired by all of the amazing work being done by those involved in the organization, I wanted to spearhead my own initiative. So at Angry Mob, I decided to introduce a diversity initiative into all creative areas, including by focusing on one of the most important elements in all of songwriting: the community.
This is why I recently launched the New Normal Writing Camp — an all-inclusive, diversity-forward camp that says it all in the name. I wanted to show that diversity should be represented not only on the artist level but also within the writing rooms, which have been very slow to catch up in terms of diversity. Our first annual New Normal Writing Camp, held in June 2023, featured 70% female artists/writers and 50% women producers representing more than 12 cultural backgrounds and featured artists including UMI, Deb Never, Yuna and Paravi. The hope is that camps like this will continue to push the industry to embrace all of the beautifully diverse writers and producers who deserve to be in high-level writing rooms.
The music industry can be difficult to work in, and these songwriting camps give the participants a chance to be themselves, get out of their comfort zones and make music in an intimate, safe space. Through these camps, I have the opportunity to create a diverse environment where songwriters and other professionals can network with those who do and don’t look like them, be exposed to a variety of genres and work with people with whom they otherwise may not have had the opportunity.
The best parts of these week-long writing events are the beautiful songs that are created and the lasting friendships that come out of them. It’s truly special to see people connect through their life stories, cultures and interests, creating music that reflects those. Unless you’re a person of color, it might be hard to grasp how crucial it is to see others who look like you pursuing their dreams and being given a fair shot in a white male-dominated industry. That’s why camps like these — also including Spotify’s GLOW camp for LGBTQ+ writers, Spotify’s Frequency camp for black writers and ASCAP’s She Is the Music camp for women songwriters — are so important.
When chatting about my intention to create writing environments that reflect the world we live in, the response from some industry professionals is usually one of surprise. While that response isn’t necessarily bad, it proves this inclusive approach is far from the norm. But it shouldn’t be. What the industry is blinded to is the potential to miss out on this generation’s next big artist/songwriter/producer — all because its leaders aren’t investing in underrepresented songwriters. All companies need to prioritize this issue, and I feel incredibly lucky to have the Angry Mob team behind me, championing my passion and continuously working alongside me to ensure we’re building a diverse roster of clients and organizing diverse writing camps.
It’s obvious that the music industry has a lot of growing to do, and I could have given up on it a long time ago due to my own experiences with close-minded gatekeepers — but I know that my work, however small, can really move the needle in the right direction. I am extremely proud to be a Filipino American, and it’s important to me to create spaces in the industry where the AAPI community and other underrepresented POC can grow and pursue opportunities that are often not given to them, helping ease the need to work twice as hard to even be considered.
My hope for the future of our industry is equity. I am honored to write about this topic and even share my experience, but I would also like for opportunities in the music industry for underrepresented groups to look the same as everyone else’s. Harkening back to the name of the songwriting camp I launched at Angry Mob, I’m optimistic that we can make diversity in songwriting camps the new normal and not something we need to push for any longer. When combined together, the small steps we take within the industry to provide opportunities to underrepresented groups will impact the future of music in immense ways.
Ralph Torrefranca is the senior director of A&R at Angry Mob Music. He is also a songwriter and the singer/guitarist in the post-punk band Cuffed Up.
Since joining Billboard in 1999, I’ve had the privilege to witness countless R&B and hip-hop artists pour their hearts out onstage and to share their hard-won journeys offstage. During that time, I’ve also had the privilege to tell the stories of songwriters, producers, executives, managers and staffers across the music industry who all play vital roles in the success and evolution of these genres — but never more urgently than in the last three years.
On June 2, 2020, #TheShowMustBePaused brought the music business to a standstill for a day of racial reckoning. It was high time to reverse decades of systemic bias practiced by an industry that had become disproportionately wealthy through the efforts of Black people, their music and culture.
Initially, the industry listened, but the Black Music Action Coalition’s latest report card indicates that the promises made have been largely performative.
Over the last three years, Black executives have won some major C-suite appointments. These include Tunji Balogun joining Def Jam Recordings as chairman/CEO; Rayna Bass rising to co-president of 300 Entertainment; Lanre Gaba’s promotion to co-president of Black music at Atlantic Records; Ryan Press ascending to president of North America at Warner Chappell; Carolyn Williams’ appointment to executive vp at RCA Records; and, most recently, Ezekiel Lewis moving into the role of president of Epic Records.
But sadly, there have also been too many examples of exasperating tone-deafness. Among them are Motown Records’ reintegration under sister label Capitol Records and accompanying staff layoffs during Black History Month following the departure of chairwoman/CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam. There was also the debacle involving Capitol’s racist Black virtual “robot rapper” artist, FN Meka. Both Habtemariam’s exit and FN Meka were cited in the BMAC’s report card, along with the organization’s concern that the industry could revert to its pre-#Show status quo.
Black music executives and creatives I’ve spoken to over the last 18 months say the backsliding is already happening.
As one major-label Black senior executive told me, “I don’t need another initiative that’s conceived, developed, executed and resourced by Black executives. There needs to be a through line of white executives doing this. We need to see them put value to the things [we do] that have derived value for them. Until we see that on a consistent basis across the board, we’re not really going to see change.”
We can’t let DEI become just another flavor of the month. It’s time for the industry leaders who declared they were allies in 2020 to renew their pledges to the Black music community to make meaningful — and rightfully deserved — systemic change happen. No one ever loses sight of the almighty bottom line in this or any business. But please keep this in mind: Change will lead to even greater success.
Late afternoon on May 15, Cameo Carlson, CEO of the management services company mtheory, took the stage at the Music Biz conference in Nashville to address a room that appeared less than half full. “This is inarguably the most important conversation that will happen at Music Biz,” she said. “And it’s unfortunate that not every registrant of this conference is here as they should be.”
The subject of the panel was the latest Music Industry Report Card from the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), a non-profit organization founded in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music business. Inside the JW Marriott in Nashville, Naima Cochrane, who authored the latest report, talked attendees through its findings. BMAC had printed enough copies of the 41-page document to place one on each seat in the large event room; as the panel wrapped, event staffers went from chair to chair, filling their arms with orphaned reports.
The underwhelming attendance that Carlson noted during her remarks would probably not have surprised more than a dozen Black executives who spoke for this article. They all expressed concern or frustration that the push for racial justice in the music business, a popular cause in 2020 and 2021, has stalled, despite the efforts of various task forces and organizations that formed across the industry in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. “All that shit is over,” one Black major-label marketing executive scoffs. “That’s the feeling industrywide.” (He and several other executives requested anonymity in order to speak candidly.)
Labels “don’t really want change,” adds Ray Daniels, a former major-label A&R executive who runs R.A.Y.D.A.R. Management and hosts The GAUDS Show podcast. “They want quiet.”
In the live-music business, BMAC noted, “Black people were systematically shut out for decades”; Mari Davies, vp of talent and booking for Live Nation Urban, told Billboard in May that there hasn’t been “enough change, enough new faces.”
Some assessments of the industry’s drive for racial equality were more restrained. Shawn “Tubby” Holiday — a longtime major-label A&R executive, BMAC co-founder and manager at Full Stop — is “disappointed there weren’t that many changes overall when it comes to minorities getting bigger positions or having bigger voices.” Still, “there was some improvement” in terms of promotions, he says. Plus “a lot of companies were willing to talk about how they can make improvements, and they were open to change.”
And BMAC co-founder/co-chair Willie “Prophet” Stiggers contends “change is showing up incrementally.” “There are real initiatives on the ground,” Stiggers says. “There are real champions inside these buildings.” He points to new projects like the Academy of Country Music’s OnRamp program, which offers a guaranteed income of $1,000 a month to 20 Black artists, as well as mentorship opportunities.
There are other efforts ongoing. Carlson was at Music Biz to discuss the Equal Access Development Program, which aims to elevate members of underrepresented communities in country music. And in 2020, the major-label groups all hired executives to aid their diversity and inclusion efforts and announced the creation of large funds — $100 million in the case of Sony Music and Warner Music Group, $25 million in the case of Universal Music Group — that would give money to organizations focused on equity and advocating for marginalized populations. (None of the labels’ diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] leaders were available for interviews.)
Sony said last year that it has committed over $70 million to nearly 450 organizations — $30 million from Sony Music and the rest from other parts of the corporation — and close to half of those are focused on Black communities. Warner said it allotted $25.5 million in “grant commitments,” and Universal noted it has given to 270 organizations.
And yet: UMG senior vp of people experience Natoya Brown told the Music Biz audience during another panel discussion, “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: What Now?,” that there is “fatigue” around the word “diversity.” “People,” she said, “are running away from the word.” Ryan Butler, the Recording Academy’s vp of diversity, equity & inclusion, noted on the same panel that “the amount of people losing their DEI jobs” this year seems roughly similar to the amount of hires in the field in 2020.
“People may have DEI fatigue,” Cochrane acknowledges. “But the reality is people have to be prepared to walk and chew gum at the same time. This cannot be a temporary thing.”
In addition to potential “fatigue,” Cochrane says “one of the reasons that #TheShowMustBePaused” — which was the catalyst for the work stoppage on “Blackout Tuesday,” June 2, 2020 — “had so much weight was because Black music is such a large part of the music industry.” While R&B/hip-hop remains the genre market-share leader, its share of consumption fell from 27.7% in 2021 to 26.8% in 2022, according to Luminate. If that number continues to slip, Cochrane says, “our voice becomes a little less urgent” for profit-focused companies. (A representative for the co-founders of #TheShowMustBePaused, Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas, said they “weren’t available at press time.”)
A recurring concern raised by the Black executives who were interviewed was the absence of transparency and accountability when it comes to music companies’ diversity and inclusion efforts. “Labels don’t give up a lot of information,” Cochrane told the crowd at Music Biz. “You can’t get access to look at contracts. You don’t necessarily know demographic breakdowns.”
BMAC collates publicly available information, which is limited, to assemble its report. The organization also sends a survey to each music company it grades. While the questionnaire seeks additional information that’s not in the public domain, Cochrane says the response rate was low.
But even if a company receives a low grade on the report card, it doesn’t suffer a penalty unless there’s some sort of outcry. “There’s nothing that is pushing [music companies] to make systemic change within their organizations if there is no negative financial or business impact,” says one Black streaming executive.
“People need to be held accountable,” agrees David Linton, a longtime major-label executive who now serves as chairman of the Living Legends Foundation. “But how do you hold them accountable?”
Some artists and their teams are trying to build accountability into their contract negotiations. Ty Baisden, a manager and co-founder of Colture (which stands for Can Our Leverage Teach Us Real Equity), recently shopped a deal with his client Brent Faiyaz to all the majors. Faiyaz has over 700 million on-demand streams so far this year, giving him a fair amount of leverage in negotiations.
Baisden says he sent out a deal proposal including “a clause that said that for every term in his contract, Brent has to be allowed to control $2 million out of your social justice fund to invest back into the Black community.” But, he adds, “Every single major label cut that part of the deal out when they sent back the proposal.” (The R&B singer partnered with UnitedMasters instead.) “We’re in year three” since Floyd’s murder, Baisden says. “What type of progression have we seen?”
In 2020, Daniels, then senior vp of A&R at Warner Records, penned an incisive, widely circulated letter titled “Dear White Music Executives” about the many ways racism permeates the industry. Initially, he kept his identity secret. Later, he decided to come forward as the author.
Now, Daniels tells Billboard, “I wish I didn’t write the letter. I wish I didn’t stand on it. If I didn’t, my life would be coasting right now. It put a target on my back that I didn’t ask for. It felt like, ‘You cause trouble because you speak up.’” Daniels’ deal with Warner was not renewed. (The company declined to comment.)
After a beat, Daniels softens his stance. “Years from now, people tell me I’ll be happy that I wrote [the letter],” he says. “I just haven’t got there yet.”
Additional reporting by Gail Mitchell.
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In a move we’re sure no one asked for, veteran actor Richard Dreyfuss defended the use of blackface and revealed his true feelings on diversity and the Oscars.
While appearing as a guest on PBS’ The Firing Line, the new criteria by the Academy Awards for eligibility for Best Picture come 2024 came up for discussion by the host, Margaret Hoover. Nominated films are required to meet four benchmarks: 30% of the cast and 30% of the crew must be from an under-represented group are two of the criteria needed. Dreyfuss stated, “They make me vomit.”
When asked why, the Jaws actor replied: “This is an art form. It’s also a form of commerce, and it makes money, but it’s an art. No one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is.” He then went on to add: “And what are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings? You can’t legislate that. And you have to let life be life.”
Dreyfuss then praised Sir Laurence Olivier’s portrayal of the tragic Shakespearean hero Othello – while in blackface – in the 1965 film adaptation of the play. “He played a Black man brilliantly,” the 75-year-old told Hoover. “Am I being told that I will never have a chance to play a Black man? Is someone else being told that if they’re not Jewish, they shouldn’t play the Merchant of Venice?”
Hoover responded with a query: “Do you think there’s a difference between the question of…who is allowed to represent other groups…and the case of blackface explicitly in this country given the history of slavery and the sensitivities around Black racism?” To that, Dreyfuss replied, “There shouldn’t be…. Because it’s patronizing. Because it says we’re so fragile that we can’t have our feelings hurt. We have to anticipate having our feelings hurt, our children’s feelings hurt. We don’t know how to stand up and bop the bully in the face.”
Dreyfuss’ defense of blackface seems on-brand given his previous role in the 1986 film Moon over Parador. The interview follows another moment of questionable thinking for the Close Encounters of the Third Kind actor where he slipped off a chair while being interviewed in April by late-night host Bill Maher for his Club Random podcast. Watch the full interview below.
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Spotify has found itself under high scrutiny over reports that diversity funds created after Joe Rogan’s controversial deal have yet to be doled out.
According to reports, the Creator Equity Fund which was created by Spotify Technology SA in the wake of staff being upset over the expensive deal Joe Rogan signed for his podcast has been barely touched. The fund, which contains $100 million, was meant “for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups.” The report estimates that based on data from Parcast, a podcasting network at the company, “less than 10% of its funding” has been spent towards that goal.
Sources for the report said that multiple factors are to blame and “has suffered from shifting priorities,” with the project behind schedule in hiring an eight-person committee to oversee the spending and not even completing their budget for 2023 among them. The $100 million was slated to be spent over a period of three years, but Spotify did not have a set infrastructure in place to vet and allocate money from the fund.
The fund was announced by Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek in February 2022 after employees at the streaming giant expressed their displeasure over Rogan signing a distribution deal for his controversial The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The deal was first believed to be worth $100 million, but it was later reported to be worth over $200 million. In addition, Ek refused to nullify the deal even after the removal of 70 previous episodes of the podcast where the N-word and other racially charged terms were used. The backlash from employees was initially sparked by artists offended by Rogan’s behavior which included Neil Young, who objected to his spreading of disinformation about COVID-19.
A representative for Spotify responded to the reports via email, refusing to comment on the details of the fund but saying it has spent more than the 10% percent that’s been reported. “The Spotify Creator Equity Fund is dedicated to a variety of initiatives that help elevate and support an inclusive and diverse portfolio of artists and creators on the platform,” they wrote. “We are able to empower and uplift underrepresented voices around the world.” They also cited projects they’ve supported such as the LGBTQ music promotion program Glow, marketing campaigns for Black artists like Kaytranada, and an expanded relationship with HBCUs such as Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
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