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Laurie Anderson, The Clark Sisters, Gladys Knight, N.W.A, Donna Summer and Tammy Wynette are the Recording Academy’s 2024 lifetime achievement award honorees. Also announced on Friday (Jan. 5), Peter Asher, DJ Kool Herc and Joel Katz are trustees award recipients; Tom Kobayashi and Tom Scott are technical Grammy award honorees; and “Refugee,” written by K’naan, […]
Former Grammys CEO Mike Greene and the Recording Academy are facing a lawsuit alleging Greene sexually assaulted an Academy employee in the 1990s.
In a complaint filed Wednesday (Dec. 6) in Los Angeles court, Terri McIntyre claims that during her tenure at the Academy from 1994 to 1996, she was “forced to endure pervasive, incessant and routine sexual harassment and/or sexual assault” from Greene, who oversaw the Grammys ceremony for 14 years.
The lawsuit accuses Greene of sexual assault and battery and accuses the Academy itself of negligence and other forms of wrongdoing for allegedly enabling the abuse, including by trying to “actively cover-up, conceal and/or repeatedly excuse Greene’s sexual misconduct.”
Greene did not immediately return a request for comment. In a statement, the Academy said: “In light of pending litigation, the Academy declines to comment on these allegations, which occurred nearly 30 years ago. Today’s Recording Academy has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual misconduct and we will remain steadfast in that commitment.”
The new case comes just weeks after another former Recording Academy CEO, Neil Portnow, was sued by an unnamed female musician who says he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2018. That case, which also named the Academy as a defendant, was filed by the same law firm as Wednesday’s new suit.
Greene, who transformed the Grammy Awards from an industry ritual into a global television event, abruptly resigned from the Academy in 2002 amid accusations of sexual harassment. Though an internal Academy investigation cleared him of wrongdoing and he was paid an $8 million severance, Greene had long been dogged by criticism that ran the organization “almost as a personal fiefdom.”
In Wednesday’s lawsuit, McIntyre says that shortly after starting her “dream job” as the Academy’s Los Angeles chapter executive director in 1994, Greene began to sexually harass her — including by allegedly telling her directly that “he expected plaintiff to perform sex acts for defendant Greene in order to remain employed and progress at defendant Academy.”
“Defendant Greene repeatedly told plaintiff that she needed to ‘give some head to get ahead’,” her lawyers write in the complaint.
According to the lawsuit, harassment then progressed into assault. McIntyre claims that after she drank champagne with Greene and others in his hotel room during a May 1994 work trip to Hawaii, she “quickly began to feel unwell and began to lose control of her physical movements.” She says she then awoke nude in his bed the next morning.
“Plaintiff knew what defendant had done to her,” her lawyers write. “Plaintiff felt wetness between her legs and smelled of intercourse.”
McIntyre says she did not report the incident because Greene “held the power to effectively block her from any further positions in the music industry.” But she claims that he continued to subject her to harassment and unwanted touching, including “groping her buttocks” and breasts.
In another incident, McIntyre says Greene brought her to his home under the guise of a work meeting but then forced her to perform oral sex on him, including by grabbing her by the back of the head and forcing her to continue as she “tried to get away.”
When she finally reported Greene’s behavior to her supervisor, McIntyre says she was told that she “should just find a way to get along” with Green and that if she could not do so, she “would not be successful, or employed, at defendant Academy for very long.”
The lawsuit says McIntyre later resigned and was forced to quit the music industry entirely, moving to her hometown and applying for entry-level jobs. “Plaintiff came to understand that her hopes, dreams, and aspirations to work in the music industry were defunct and unreachable,” her lawyers say, after she spent two years “being prey to a predator that defendant Academy could have stopped.”
McIntyre’s case was filed under California’s AB 2777, a state law that created a temporary window for survivors of sexual assault to file lawsuits that would normally be barred by the statute of limitations. The law, which doesn’t expire until 2026, is similar to New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which led to a flurry of sexual abuse cases in that state over the past month.
A record-breaking 2,400 people have joined the Recording Academy as part of the organization’s 2023 new member class. Fully half of the new class is composed of people of color, while 46% are under the age of 40 and 37% are women. The Academy calls these statistics “a demonstration of the Academy’s commitment to remaking its overall membership.”
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The Academy further said that the 2,400 new members includes 1,700 new voting members and 700 new professional members (people who work in the industry but aren’t involved in the creation of recordings). This brings the total current membership to about 14,000 – 11,000 voting members and nearly 3,000 professional members.
The Recording Academy’s membership model is community-driven and peer-reviewed to create a more diverse and engaged membership base. Since implementing this new membership model in 2019, people of color have gone from comprising 24% of the Academy’s total membership to 38%. The percentage of Academy members who are women has also increased in that time frame, albeit at a more modest rate, from 26% to 30%.
“I’m proud as our organization continues to evolve and build a membership body that reflects the diverse talents and backgrounds that make up our music community,” Harvey Mason, jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “Our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, however, is an ongoing effort. While we celebrate our progress, we also acknowledge that there’s still more work that must be done. Our members play a crucial role in everything we do, so representation is integral to our mission of supporting and uplifting music makers.”
The Recording Academy reports that the new member class is 50% people of color, 37% white or Caucasian and 13% unknown. The 50% people of color statistic breaks down like this: Black or African American, 28%; Hispanic or Latin, 10%; Asian or Pacific Islander, 5%; South Asian, 2%; Middle Eastern or North African, 1%; and Indigenous or Alaskan native, less than 1%. Four percent replied that they prefer to self-describe.
In terms of gender, 54% of the new member class is male, 37% is female, 8% is unknown and 1% is non-binary. Less than 1% replied that they prefer to self-describe.
In terms of age, 46% of the new class is under 40, 40% is over 40 and 14% is unknown.
All of these numbers refer to total members — which encompasses both voting members and professional members.
The Recording Academy also specifically asked voting members in the new member class to indicate which genres they are most aligned with. (They could choose more than one genre, so the totals exceed 100%.) Pop leads, as expected, with 41%, followed by R&B (29%), rock (23%), rap (22%), jazz (21%), alternative (21%), global music (17%), classical (15%), dance/electronic (15%), contemporary instrumental (13%), American roots music (12%), gospel/Christian (12%), Latin (12%), country (11%), visual media (10%) and seven other genres that each had less than 10%.
Jazz and classical rank higher than their market share would indicate. Latin and country, two of the hottest genres of recent years, rank lower than their market share would indicate; notably, the Grammy nominations that were announced on Nov. 10 were light on Latin and country representation in the Big Four categories. Latin was shut out completely in those marquee categories, while country was represented by just a pair of best new artist nominees: Jelly Roll and The War & Treaty (and that husband-and-wife duo is primarily associated with Americana). This brought criticism from people in the Latin and country fields.
Full statistics surrounding the demographics of the new class can be found here.
The Recording Academy reports that it’s 98% of the way toward its goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025. It expects to achieve this milestone next year, a year ahead of schedule.
The final round of voting for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards extends from Dec. 14 until Jan. 4, 2024. All voting members, including those welcomed in the 2023 new class, are eligible to vote.
In addition to voting in the Grammy Awards process, members can submit product for Grammy consideration, propose amendments to Grammy rules, run for a Recording Academy board position or committee, vote in chapter elections and more.
For more information on the Recording Academy’s membership process and requirements, visit here.
Michael Kushner, Atlantic Records’ executive vp of business & legal affairs/general counsel, will receive the 2024 Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Service Award, which is given each year to an attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing and supporting the music community through service.
The award will be presented at the Recording Academy Entertainment Law Initiative event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, two days before the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Michelle Jubelirer, Capitol Music Group chair/CEO, will deliver the keynote address.
“Michael’s dedication to the music industry and his service to the Academy’s Entertainment Law Initiative make him an exceptionally deserving recipient of the ELI Service Award,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating his accomplishments at the 26th Annual ELI Grammy Week event, and hosting Michelle — a trailblazing woman in music — as the keynote speaker as we gather with the professionals and students making an impact in entertainment law.”
The recipient of the Service Award is selected each year by ELI’s executive committee.
Peter T. Paterno was the Service Award honoree earlier this year. Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, then newly inaugurated, gave the keynote address.
The ELI event will also celebrate the winner and two runners-up of the Entertainment Law Initiative writing competition, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA), which challenges students in Juris Doctorate (JD) and Master of Laws (LLM) programs at U.S. law schools to research a pressing legal issue facing the modern music industry and outline a proposed solution in a 3,000-word essay. A $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the author of the winning paper, and a $2,500 scholarship is awarded to two runners-up. The winning paper will be published in the ABA’s journal, Entertainment & Sports Lawyer.
The winner will also receive travel and tickets to Los Angeles to attend the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, MusiCares Person of the Year and the ELI event. The contest is open to JD and LLM candidates at U.S. law schools. Students have until Jan. 3, 2024, to enter the contest. See official rules, detailed prize packages and deadlines at recordingacademy.com/eli.
Individual tickets and a limited number of discounted student tickets to the ELI event will go on sale later this month.
Former Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow has been sued by an unnamed female musician who says he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2018. Also named as a defendant is the Recording Academy itself, which the plaintiff accuses of enabling the assault through negligence.
In the lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday (Nov. 8), the woman — described in the complaint as “an internationally acclaimed musician, inventor, and former member of The Recording Academy” who performed at Carnegie Hall in 2015 — claims that while meeting with Portnow in his hotel room in June 2018 to conduct an interview with him for her magazine, she “began to feel woozy” after drinking a glass of wine he offered her.
When the woman allegedly attempted to exit Portnow’s hotel room, she claims Portnow refused to help her leave “while begging her to stay” and attempting to kiss and massage her body. After allegedly losing consciousness, she says she would periodically wake to find Portnow sexually assaulting her in his hotel bed, forcing her hand to “manipulate” his penis and penetrating her vagina with both his penis and fingers.
The woman claims she awoke the next morning “woozy and confused” in the hotel bed as Portnow took a phone call. Once he finished the call, she claims Portnow “begged” her to stay in the hotel room “and under his control” but that she resisted. She says she gathered her things and made her escape after he left.
According to the complaint, the woman first met Portnow in January 2018 at the Paley Center for Media in New York, where he was speaking on a panel at an event for the 50th annual Grammy Awards. One week later, she says she received two VIP tickets to the Grammys and afterparty access from Portnow’s secretary, though she was unable to attend.
In February 2018, the woman says she emailed Portnow to thank him for the tickets, apologize for not being able to attend and tell him about her magazine. She says Portnow subsequently reached out to her in May 2018 telling her that he was traveling to New York City, at which point she told him she was interested in interviewing him for her magazine — leading to their alleged June 2018 meeting in his hotel room.
“In the immediate aftermath” of the alleged assault, the plaintiff says she tried reaching out to Portnow several times “to understand and gain clarity as to what had occurred,” but that Portnow ignored her and returned to Los Angeles around June 15, 2018.
The woman further claims that in October 2018, she emailed the Recording Academy to notify them of the assault and received an email response from the Academy’s chief people and culture officer (a position then filled by Gaetano Frizzi) “asking for a phone call to discuss the allegations.” She claims, however, that no one from the Academy ever reached out to interview her.
The following month, the woman says she received an email from Portnow’s legal representative that contained a private message from Portnow. According to a copy of the email which is included in the complaint, Portnow does not directly mention the woman’s assault allegation but instead expresses that he was “deeply saddened by your communications which unfortunately now require me to have an attorney involved.” Portnow also states that he had “always respected” the defendant and that “it is important that we hear each other with compassion and care.”
In December 2018, the woman says she filed a police report with the New York City Police Department naming Portnow as the man who sexually assaulted her.
In the aftermath of the alleged rape, the woman claims she “has suffered and will continue to suffer, great pain of mind and body, severe and permanent emotional distress, physical manifestations of emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, physical, personal & psychological injuries.” She also says she has “incurred and will continue to incur expenses for psychological treatment, therapy, and counselling,” “has and/or will incur loss of income and/or loss of earning capacity in her musical career” and was “unable to maintain” her status as an Academy voting member.
The woman is suing Portnow for sexual battery; the Recording Academy for negligent hiring, supervision and retention; and both defendants for gender-motivated violence. She is demanding a trial by jury.
In a lengthy statement sent to Billboard, a spokesperson for Portnow called the woman’s allegations “completely false.”
“The claims are the product of the Plaintiff’s imagination and undoubtedly motivated by Mr. Portnow’s refusal to comply with the Plaintiff’s outrageous demands for money and assistance in obtaining a residence visa for her.
“A series of erratic, bizarre text messages and e-mails to both Mr. Portnow and the Recording Academy from the Plaintiff had already persuaded numerous previous Plaintiff’s lawyers who resigned, as well as a police agency, that her claims were baseless. The latest incarnation offers a ‘new and improved’ story, padding it with even more outrageous and untrue allegations.
“More than 5 years later, Mr. Portnow remains consistent in his refusal to assist the Plaintiff in her absurd demands that he help her in procuring a United States permanent resident visa, marry her, make children with her, support her musical career, or pay her millions of dollars so that she would not bring her frivolous lawsuit.
“When the first attempt was made to extract money and other benefits as listed above, Mr. Portnow, who was at that time President/CEO of the Recording Academy, immediately enlisted the Academy’s HR Department to review the nonsensical text messages and emails that he made immediately available. An outside independent investigation led by top-tier lawyers, reviewed all relevant texts, emails, interviewed witnesses, and found absolutely no proof to support any of the allegations. The Academy’s Executive Committee and Board of Trustees were made aware of the results of the investigation and report; subsequently, Mr. Portnow served at the helm of the Recording Academy for the balance of the term of his contract. Throughout these processes, Mr. Portnow voluntarily and fully cooperated with and supported the investigation of these false allegations.
“Accordingly, Mr. Portnow will defend the case with vigor and will prevail.”
The Recording Academy sent the following statement to Billboard: “We continue to believe the claims to be without merit and intend to vigorously defend the Academy in this lawsuit.”
The woman’s allegations were partially aired nearly four years ago in the explosive discrimination complaint filed by Deborah Dugan, who briefly replaced Portnow as Recording Academy president/CEO after he stepped down in August 2019. The following January, Dugan was placed on administrative leave, after which she filed a discrimination complaint against the Academy with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In that complaint — details from which are outlined in the new lawsuit — Dugan claimed that during a May 2019 meeting of the board prior to assuming Academy leadership, she was informed that sexual assault allegations had been lodged against Portnow by a foreign female recording artist who was also a member of the Academy. Dugan alleged that she was placed on leave after she refused to bring Portnow back as a consultant for the Grammys.
Shortly after Dugan filed her complaint, Portnow released a statement calling the rape allegations “ludicrous, and untrue. The suggestion that there was is disseminating a lie.” He added that following “an in-depth independent investigation” of the allegations, he was “completely exonerated.”
Dugan and the Recording Academy reached a confidential settlement in June 2021.
Following Hamas’ attacks throughout Israel this past weekend and Israel’s current bombardment of Gaza, the three major labels, along with the Recording Academy, have released statements condemning Hamas. In a statement posted Thursday to X, the platform previously called Twitter, Warner Music Group wrote, “We condemn the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and the […]
As the Recording Academy’s chief advocacy & public policy officer, Washington, D.C.-based Todd Dupler oversees the organization’s efforts to champion creators’ rights and advance pro-music legislation from Washington, D.C.
His efforts include the annual District Advocate Day when Recording Academy members come to the nation capital to meet with their local Congressional representatives. On Oct. 5 — less than a week after a government shutdown was narrowly averted — nearly 1,800 Recording Academy members participated in more than 100 meetings with their Congressional representatives via virtual and in person-meetings in D.C. and in their home states. Key among the academy members’ concerns were the evolution of artificial intelligence and protecting the human creator’s rights and ticketing reform. They also advocated for passage of the Restoring Artistic Protections (RAP) Act, which limits the use of songwriters’ lyrics as evidence in criminal and civil proceedings, the Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, which amends the tax code to allow independent artists to fully deduct the cost of new recordings and the American Music Fairness (AMFA) Act, which calls for performers to be compensated when their work is broadcast on AM/FM radio in the U.S.
Dupler, who received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., joined the Recording Academy in 2012 and relaunched the District Advocate program as well as Grammys on the Hill. Under his leadership, Dupler has guided the academy’s efforts to support the passing of legislation including the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which was signed into law at the end of 2022, as well as the Music Modernization Act and the Better Online Tickets Sales Act. He also launched the Grammy Fund for Music Creators, the academy’s political action committee. His efforts have earned Dupler the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Dupler breaks down how the Recording Academy prepared for District Advocate Day and how he and his team work 365 days a year to fight for creators.
In terms of scope, how did this year compare with past years and how many years has the Recording Academy held District Advocate Day?
We first launched the initiative in 2014 with just a few hundred participants. This year we saw nearly 1,800 academy members participate across 46 states and the District of Columbia. As we prepared for District Advocate Day this year, we faced the threat of a government shutdown and a historic level of instability in Washington. This impacted the number of congressional offices who were able to schedule meetings with us last week — but we didn’t let these challenges stop us from being music advocates. Even with these obstacles, over 1,000 members met with nearly a hundred congressional offices from Orlando to Seattle, New York to Los Angeles, and in dozens of congressional districts in between. Beyond these meetings, hundreds more participated in the academy’s first-ever virtual GRAMMY Advocacy Conference, a reimagined way to use District Advocate as a day for collective action in music.
How do you prepare the 1,800 participating members on the complex issues they are discussing with their representatives?
We provide a variety of resources to members to help prepare them, including a training webinar and talking points about the issues, but the most important thing we emphasize is that our members do not need to be policy experts. Every member comes in with different expertise and passion — one may be particularly familiar with the reforms needed for live event ticketing, while another may be passionate about the Restoring Artistic Protection Act and freedom of creative expression overall. The most important thing that they can do to make an impact is to tell their own story and build a connection with the lawmaker or staff member. The conversations we have on District Advocate Day provide the space for our members to speak to their own experiences, giving a personal voice to these issues.
AI is such a major topic right now. The Recording Academy’s focus is on protecting the human creator. How was that message received from the Congressional members you met with?
Members of Congress are very interested in all aspects of AI, but they haven’t necessarily thought about how AI impacts the creative industries and individual creators. We’ve found that lawmakers are extremely receptive and sympathetic to the unique concerns of music makers and the music community.
During your tenure, what do you consider the biggest victory that has come out of District Advocate Day?
District Advocate has led to a number of notable successes, from building support for the Music Modernization Act to advancing the CASE Act and the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which were all signed into law. But I’m especially proud that during the first year of the pandemic we were able to adapt and create a virtual program that allowed our members to advocate for much needed relief and support for the music community.
How do you gauge the success of District Advocate Day beyond getting legislation passed?
Promoting our policy priorities is just one aspect of District Advocate Day. The program also provides a unique and powerful way for academy members to actively participate in our advocacy work. Many of our members consider District Advocate Day the most important thing they do as part of the academy.
How does District Advocate Day differ from Grammys on the Hill, which takes place in spring and includes performances and awards, in representing the Recording Academy’s agenda?
Grammys on the Hill is a chance to bring a little bit of the excitement and fun of the Grammy Awards to Washington, D.C., and connect current Grammy winners and nominees with lawmakers. But District Advocate is our opportunity to demonstrate just how broad and diverse the music community really is. We have thousands of academy members across the country in almost every congressional district. Many members of Congress have no idea that there are people making music in their own backyard, so District Advocate is our way to make the issues relevant and relatable to them.
How do you coordinate advocacy across the academy’s 12 chapters and state legislation year-round?
Our chapters are enthusiastic about advocacy both because of the potential for member engagement and because of the positive impact on the community when we are successful. Increasing our state-level advocacy has been an important priority for me. Last year in California, for example, we secured the enactment of the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, which limits the use of song lyrics as evidence in court. That led to the passage of a similar law in Louisiana this year and is fueling ongoing work in New York, Maryland, and even at the national level in Congress. We rely on our members to use their voices and support our state-level advocacy efforts in a number of ways, from writing letters to their congressional representatives, obtaining ballot signatures, and so much more.
In September, the Recording Academy launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Given Hamas’s attack last week on Israel and the ongoing conflict, how does the Initiative plan to direct its efforts to use music as a diplomatic tool in the Middle East?
We know that music not only provides comfort and hope during tragedy, but also builds bridges and promotes understanding between peoples and cultures around the world. Our hope is that through the new mentorship program we are developing with the State Department we will be able to support the growth of music economies in emerging markets around the world like in the Middle East and facilitate new relationships and connections that cross borders. With these goals in mind, the academy will be welcoming international mid-career music professionals to the U.S. through the American Music Mentorship Program starting in fall 2024.
You joined the Recording Academy in 2012. In what ways has its legislative strategy legislation changed over the years and through regime changes?
Throughout my tenure, advocacy has been a constant at the Recording Academy and at the forefront of our mission. Under [CEO] Harvey [Mason jr’s] leadership, I’ve worked to expand and increase that work to better serve our members and the music community. We’ve used the platform provided by the new Songwriters & Composers Wing, for example, to increase our advocacy for songwriters. The new partnership with the State Department has created new opportunities globally. And the expansion of our state advocacy work provides another avenue to assert our leadership on issues that matter to music. Serving music and the people who make it will always be our lodestar.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative on Wednesday (Sept. 27), a worldwide effort to elevate music as a diplomatic tool to promote peace and democracy.
The launch event was held at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken was joined by Harvey Mason, Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy; Lyor Cohen, global head of music for YouTube and Google; and David M. Rubenstein, chairman of the board at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The event featured live performances by Jamie Barton, GAYLE, Dave Grohl, Mickey Guyton, Herbie Hancock, Christopher Jackson, LADAMA, Aimee Mann, Rakim, Armani White and DJ 2-Tone as well as a video message from Bono.
In addition, Mason and Secretary Blinken awarded Quincy Jones the first-ever Peace through Music Award. The award, a collaboration between the Department and the Academy, recognizes an American music industry professional, artist or group who has played a key role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.
Jones has won 28 Grammy Awards, the third highest tally of all-time behind Beyoncé and classical conductor Sir Georg Solti. In addition, he has received several high-profile honors from the Recording Academy: a trustees award in 1989, the Grammy Legends Award in 1991 and MusiCares’ Person of the Year award in 1996. His non-Grammy honors include the Jean Hersholt Award from the Motion Picture Academy in 1994 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001.
The event culminated with several announcements that, it is hoped, will shape the future of music diplomacy, ranging from public-private partnerships with American music industry leaders to educational opportunities for youth globally.
The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative builds on the bipartisan PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law last year. It will augment current U.S. efforts that consist of various public diplomacy exchange programs using music as a diplomatic tool, including American Music Abroad, Arts Envoy, Center Stage, Next Level and OneBeat.
Several of the initiatives announced on Wednesday were collaborations with The Recording Academy. “From advocating for the Peace Through Music Diplomacy Act in 2022, to partnering with the U.S. State Department on the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, the Academy firmly believes that music’s transformative power can be a global force for good,” Mason said in a statement. “We’re honored to begin our work with the State Department to promote peace and cross-cultural understanding through music while continuing our mission to lift up music people around the globe.”
“Music reminds us that we have more in common than what separates us,” Cohen added. “It heals us. It unites us. It gets us hyped. … For centuries, music has helped fuel important social and cultural movements. Artists like Aretha Franklin, John Lennon, Kendrick Lamar, and so many more have written songs that bring people together to create understanding and drive peace. This initiative creates a new avenue for us to raise their voices and drive global music diplomacy forward; breaking down cultural barriers and fostering peace through music.”
The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative launch announcements include:
American Music Mentorship Program
This program, a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and The Recording Academy, will bring international mid-career music industry professionals, who may include musical artists, to the United States for mentorship and networking opportunities. The first program will be held in the fall of 2024.
The initiative was developed pursuant to the PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act, which was championed by The Recording Academy in 2022 at Grammys on the Hill and during the annual grassroots District Advocate Day. The legislation was passed into law in December 2022.
Fulbright-Kennedy Center Visiting Scholar Award in Arts and Science
The Fulbright Program, the United States’ flagship international academic exchange program, will collaborate with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to create a new fellowship opportunity for foreign scholars. The new Fulbright-Kennedy Center Visiting Scholar Award in Arts and Science will focus on the intersection of the arts and science, including how the arts can contribute to individual and global health and well-being and the environment. An award competition will be announced this fall, and the Kennedy Center will host the first scholar in academic year 2024-25.
Boosting English-Language Learning Through Music
Recognizing the strategic importance of English-language learning overseas, especially for youth and underserved communities, the Department will incorporate music into its existing $40 million investment in English-language learning worldwide to provide access to English-learning classes for promising students between the ages of 13 and 20.
The Department will augment broader global English-language learning by supporting Sing Out Loud, a program that provides resources for teaching English through music in collaboration with American Music Abroad, bringing music and lyrics into classrooms across the world.
In addition to the Secretary’s announcements, the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative will include programming around the world, including:
Arts Envoys to Travel to the Middle East, People’s Republic of China
Hancock, along with Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Ensemble at UCLA, will perform in Jordan in October to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 1963 Jazz Ambassador tour of the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Hancock’s tour will then travel to Saudi Arabia for a four-day Arts Envoy program, the first of its kind between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
From Nov. 9-18, The Philadelphia Orchestra is slated to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its historic 1973 tour of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with ensemble performances and residency activities in multiple cities in the PRC.
Ten American Bands to Travel to 30 Countries Through American Music Abroad
Representing various genres, Birckhead, The Beatbox House, The Invisibles, Marielle Kraft, Matthew Whitaker, Pipeline Vocal Project, Raining Jane, Sihasin, Sub-Radio and Tap Music Project will travel to 30 countries from October through June 2024.
In November, the 2023 American Music Abroad Academy Cleveland will bring together young professional musicians from the Ukrainian diaspora and around the world for collaboration with and mentorship opportunities from American instructors with a focus on cultural preservation through music.
Next Level to Use Hip-Hop in Nigeria, Bring International Artists to the United States
In September, four U.S. hip-hop artists focusing on conflict transformation will travel to Lagos, Nigeria for a two-week Next Level Academy. In addition, 10 international participants will travel to Washington, D.C., and New York for a two-week professional development program on conflict transformation through hip-hop.
Scaling Social Entrepreneurship Projects, Strengthening Creative Economy Through OneBeat
From Nov. 6-20, musicians from Ghana and Nigeria will come together to collaboratively create and discuss how music can bring people together through social entrepreneurship projects as part of the OneBeat program.
Harmundi International Music Summit to Welcome Students from Every Continent
Virtually connecting more than 60 international students from every continent through music, the Harmundi Summit will provide intense music training, cross-cultural collaboration, studio recordins and live performances under the mentorship of world-class musicians and producers. The Summit, which will take place Nov. 3-5, will be led by alumni of the Department’s exchanges and is part of the Department’s Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund. This fund provides grants of up to $10,000 for public service projects that utilize the skills, knowledge and networks exchange alumni gained through their exchange experiences.
The Recording Academy has promoted Todd Dupler to chief advocacy & public policy officer, effective immediately. In his role, Dupler oversees the advocacy division focused on championing creators’ rights and elevating policy issues that stand to affect the music community. He also orchestrates cross-departmental efforts to advance the overall advocacy goals of the Recording Academy […]
The deadline for Recording Academy members to register for District Advocate Day is Friday (Sept. 8). The Academy calls the day, which is set for Oct. 5 this year, “the largest grassroots advocacy movement for music and its makers.”
On District Advocate Day, Recording Academy members visit the local district offices of their elected representatives to discuss issues affecting their livelihoods and careers. including fairer compensation for songwriters, performers, and studio professionals.
In a video message urging members to sign up, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, jr. said “It’s a chance for us as music people to talk directly to people who make the laws that affect us. …It’s crucial that the people that create and perform that music are not held back by outdated and unfair legislation. So, join the Recording Academy as we work to ensure that music and all its makers are valued today and into the future.”
Mason added that members won’t be sent off to meetings with their elected representatives (or, often, their staffs) unprepared. After members register, “the Recording Academy advocacy team will set you up with the materials and information you need to be a successful advocate.”
Focus areas this year will include AI, live event ticketing reform, the RAP (Restoring Artistic Protection) Act and the HITS (Helping Independent Tracks Succeed) Act. The RAP Act and the HITS Act were also priorities last year, but those bills have yet to become law.
While meetings are generally held in local district offices, some meetings are held in local community spaces like a recording studio, performance venue, or other music-related business.
District Advocate Day was created in 2014. It has been held every year since except 2021, when the Academy pivoted to a smaller, virtual “Behind the Record x Advocacy” Day.” The 2020 event, amid the pandemic, was virtual. In 2022 it returned in person.
Nearly 2,000 Academy members took part in the event last year, which was held on Oct. 6, 2022. They were involved with almost 200 scheduled meetings, reaching 75% of Congress. Meetings took place across 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Last year, Recording Academy members advocated for four bills being considered by the 117th Congress – the HITS Act, the RAP Act, the PEACE (Promoting Peace, Education, and Cultural Exchange) Through Music Diplomacy Act and the American Music Fairness (AMFA) Act.
So, what happened to those bills?
The PEACE Through Music Diplomacy Act was signed into law by President Biden as a part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act in December 2022.
The RAP Act continued to gain supporters after District Advocate Day 2022. The bill was reintroduced in the House in the 118th Congress at Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day in April 2023; the Academy is looking towards it being introduced in the Senate.
In December 2022, the House Judiciary Committee passed the AMFA Act out of committee. The favorable voice vote — with no recorded votes against the bill — marks the most significant action by Congress on performance rights in the last 12 years. The bill was reintroduced in the 118th Congress by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Reps. Darrell Issa (D-CA) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in February 2023 with Recording Academy support.
The HITS Act continued to gain supporters in both the House and Senate after District Advocate Day 2022. This year, it was reintroduced on a bipartisan, bicameral level in the 118th Congress by Reps. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) and Ron Estes (R-KS), and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in February 2023 with Recording Academy support.
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