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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 …It’s crucial that the people that create and perform that music are not held back by outdated and unfair legislation.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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In an effort to make its Grammy U program more inclusive and accessible, the Recording Academy is no longer requiring that applicants be full-time college students — or college students at all. It has now added a second path to membership for individuals aged 18-29 who are actively taking an alternate path toward a career in music.
As before, full-time students of any age qualify. They must be currently enrolled in an accredited college, university or trade school full-time (nine credits) and pursuing associate, bachelors, masters or PhD degrees.
But now there is a second option: professional/creative, which is open only to people aged 18-29. This option is for professionals or creatives pursuing a career in music as well as students studying at college part-time or taking any certificate course or program.
“For many years, Grammy U has invested in the development of emerging young music creators and professionals by providing resources and a supportive ecosystem committed to helping them thrive in the music industry,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. “With this expansion, Grammy U is ensuring that membership will be more inclusive and accessible for the next generation of music creators and professionals, no matter their career path.”
Jessie Allen, who was in the first Grammy U class of 1,000 students in 2006 and has headed the program for the past two-and-a-half years as Grammy U senior director, notes, “Not everyone has the same path to success. … Everyone has their own story. Maybe they are having financial hardships and they can’t go to college full-time. Maybe they are just taking a different route and they want to be on tour all year. Maybe they started their own business right after high school – if they went to high school, even. This is what we’re looking at from an inclusivity standpoint and also just making sure that we are representative of what the actual industry looks like. That is why we are making the change.”
Does Allen think this change will make Grammy U membership more representative in terms of having more women or more people of color? “All of the above,” she replies. “By taking away the college requirement, that just opens the door to the whole, entire emerging music industry of creators and professionals.”
Allen says the old rule was too restrictive and sometimes confounding even to people at the Academy. “We often saw people who were in technical school. Is that full-time? Is that accredited? We thought, ‘You are really taking that step for yourself. You are pursing music. You are taking a certificate program or you’re a part-time student.’ That was when we [decided], ‘Let’s not make this such a grey zone.’ [Before, we sometimes thought], ‘We can’t really let them in, but we should be letting them in.’”
Allen says the rule change was “a natural evolution.”
“This is one of the most organic things that has happened in my time at the Academy,” says Allen, who joined the full-time Academy staff 10 years ago as project manager for the Florida chapter. Allen credits Tammy Hurt, chair of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees; J. Ivy, a fellow trustee; and Ruby Marchand, chief awards & industry officer, for spearheading the change, which required a vote of the trustees.
“It was the easiest yes from the Academy,” she says. “It was almost like, ‘Yes, we all know this needs to be happening.’”
While the Academy is broadening access, it is not simply throwing the doors open to all who want to join Grammy U. Applicants must document what active steps they’re taking to build a career and must provide a letter of recommendation from someone in the industry.
“I would say ‘active’ is the most important word here,” Allen says. “We’re looking to see that you’re taking your career seriously and that this is something that you’re really invested in. [You can do that by documenting that] you’re playing regularly in your area or maybe you’re releasing music.”
In recent years, the Academy has been keenly sensitive to being inclusive, but it added a strict age requirement on this new, second option of Grammy U membership. That being: Anyone who has turned 30 is ineligible. Isn’t that inconsistent with the Academy’s overall philosophy of inclusivity?
“The room that you’re in when you’re in a Grammy U program event is a room of your peers,” Allen says, by way of explaining the age restriction. “We want to make sure that the programming and the opportunities we’re offering match. …As they grow later into their careers, there are still places for them at the Academy. But our programs are really tailored to this place in somebody’s journey and creating that peer community. While we want to be as inclusive as possible, we also want to make sure that everyone feels like they are having relatable opportunities in that room.”
Later, Allen doubles back to this point. “Just because you can‘t be a full-time member of Grammy U doesn’t mean that there aren’t other ways that we can support you; have you volunteer and have you part of our community until you are hopefully ready for voting or professional membership.”
Earlier this year, a Grammy U alumnus, Michael Repper, won a Grammy for best orchestral performance for conducting the New York Youth Symphony. Other Grammy U alumni include musician, singer and songwriter Jake Wesley Rogers; singer/songwriter Megan Winsor; Naledi Nyahuma Seck, VP of DEI at The Orchard; Erin Hanson, director of content partnerships at Audible; and Christine Busanelli, Esq., MBA–entertainment lawyer.
Allen, 35, is one of “at least a dozen” Grammy U alums who have joined the Recording Academy staff, by her count. The Miami-based executive is one of two full-time Grammy U staffers, along with Cat Sornmayura, project manager.
Grammy U dues are a one-time payment of $50 for four years of membership. The program just added a renewal feature where members can renew for $50 for each additional year.
“The idea is that you are pretty close at this point – we hope—to moving into voting and professional membership,” Allen says. “We wanted to create that bridge where you are still with us; still getting the benefits as you go into the next phase of your career.”
Grammy U has had more than 32,000 members since its inception. Grammy U finished this past year with more than 6,000 current members. Approximately 1,500 students were accepted during the 2022-23 program year which is primarily from August – May.
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Grammy U members cannot vote for the Grammys or vote in chapter elections, but they can submit awards proposals and participate in select chapter events and Academy-wide initiatives like District Advocate, in addition to dedicated Grammy U programs.
There are 14 Grammy U representatives across the Recording Academy’s 12 chapters. The representatives co-produce all events and oversee membership within their chapters, with the help of more than 100 Grammy U “ambassadors.” In the 2022-23 program year, the membership program hosted more than 80 events and programs locally and nationally.
Events this past year include separate master classes with Jacob Collier, Armani White and Andrew McMahon; SoundChecks featuring such artists as Steve Lacy, Lizzy McAlpine, Stephen Sanchez, Gracie Abrams, Carly Rae Jepsen, MUNA, Sabrina Carpenter and Death Cab for Cutie; an all-day conference in Miami focused on Latin music creators and professionals; and mentorship programs with executives from such companies as Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, SiriusXM and ASCAP.
For more information about Grammy U and how to apply, visit grammyu.com.
The Recording Academy is accepting submissions from voting members for its second annual best song for social change award. This award recognizes creators of message-driven music that responds to the social issues of our time and has the potential for positive global impact.
This is a special merit award – not a regular, competitive Grammy Award. Entries are reviewed and the recipient is selected by a “blue-ribbon committee.”
The inaugural award was presented at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5 by first lady Jill Biden before she also presented song of the year to Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That.” The inaugural recipient was “Baraye” by Iranian singer/songwriter Shervin Hajipour.
Songs that were commercially released during the last three Grammy eligibility years – that’s Oct. 1, 2020 through Sept. 15, 2023 – are eligible for this award. The submission period began one week ago (July 17) and continues through Aug. 31.
This award, which honors singles or tracks in any musical genre, is presented to the songwriter(s). The song must include music and lyrics in any language, provided that an approved English version of the lyric is submitted.
“We’re excited to offer this award, proposed by our voting members, to recognize creators of message-driven music that responds to the social issues of our time and has the potential for positive global impact,” the Academy said in an email to its members.
The Academy also gave some prompts of specific issues that fit the award: peace, security (personal safety), human dignity, climate crisis, mental health, civil rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, anti-bullying, communities in need, voting rights, homelessness, inequality, hunger access (food security), rights of the disabled, education access, indigenous peoples/land use/resources.
Here is the Academy’s stated eligibility and selection criteria (lightly edited for space and clarity):
“The award recognizes a song that has had profound social influence and impact.
“Submissions should contain lyrical content that: a) addresses a timely social issue; b) explores a subject impacting a community of people in need; and c) promotes awareness, raises consciousness, and builds empathy.
“The song may reference previous work and may include previously recorded or published lyrical material; in addition, a significant degree of new creative and lyrical content is required. The songwriters of the new material are eligible to receive the award; determination of songwriter eligibility for previously recorded or published lyrical work will be at the discretion of the Academy.
“Recordings featuring samples or interpolations are eligible; however, in alignment with Grammy Awards rules, songwriters of sampled or interpolated material are not eligible to receive the award.
“Songs previously acknowledged as finalists for this award will notbe eligible for consideration.
“Previously Grammy-nominated and/or Grammy-winning songs are eligible for this honor as long as they meet the commercial release eligibility criteria for this award.
“Selection criteria include the lyrical content of the song, the artistic quality of the composition, and the perceived impact of the song in delivering an empowering message that brings awareness about social issues that affect the world.
“The selection criteria will be guided by the principle that social good is ‘an action that will result in a benefit being available to the general public,’ which may include songs that affirm the basic humanity of all people.
“In this context, the new award will recognize a song that promotes: Understanding – educates and /or raises awareness of other people’s experiences, advocacy, and tolerance; Peacebuilding – measures intended to create or sustain peace or freedom from dissention; Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another; Being positive – a good, affirmative, or constructive quality or attribute. In contrast, songs containing hate speech or advocating violence or terrorism would be deemed ineligible.”
The Recording Academy is raising its annual membership fees from $100 to $150, its first increase since 2000. The Academy notified its members of the 50% increase in an email on Monday (July 10).
The increase takes effect on Aug. 1. Any dues submitted on or before July 31 will reflect the old rate.
Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. tells Billboard that if a member says that the fee increase would cause a hardship, they’ll make accommodations, just as they did during the pandemic.
Mason says “a small but significant” percentage of members claimed a hardship during the pandemic and were granted a fee waiver. “There were also some people that paid double dues during COVID to support people what weren’t able to pay dues,” he adds.
“If people do have hardships [with this fee increase], we’re going to continue that policy,” he said. “It’s not about trying to extract money from people that don’t have it. It’s just trying to make a fair value. So, when someone says we can’t afford to play $150, we’re going to say, ‘OK, what can you afford? Oh, you can’t afford it, No problem. We want you as a member regardless.’”
Asked if people take advantage of this lenient approach, Mason responded, “I’m sure there’s a small percentage of people that may take advantage of that, but for the most part the music community are good and fair people. If you’re involved in music and creativity and art, you’re not generally [looking for ways to cheat the system]. We’re not going to worry about the few who might have that in their heart.”
The Academy also has a waiver policy on entry fees. All professional and voting members of the Recording Academy receive five “courtesy entries” per year. If they choose to enter more than five entries, they must pay. This year, the fee is $40 for entries made between July 17-31, $75 for entries made between Aug. 1-23 and $125 for entries made between Aug. 24-31.
But the Academy notes, “Any member who would be burdened by the entry fees can request the fees be waived by reaching out to the awards department.”
The Academy justifies charging a fee for any member making more than five entries by saying, “The per-entry fee structure encourages entrants to consider the value of each entry and make mindful decisions to put forward work that they truly believe is Grammy-worthy.”
By way of justifying the membership fee increase, the Academy notes, “Since the last Recording Academy membership dues increase in 2000, the organization has organized more than 650 events across 12 Chapters, celebrated and recognized countless Grammy Award nominees and winners, provided $110 million in aid through MusiCares, and actively supported the passage of numerous bills at both the state and federal level to protect creators’ rights.”
The Recording Academy has always had rules and guidelines, dating back to its founding in 1957. In recent years, in a bid for greater transparency, and at the direction of Academy CEO Harvey Mason, jr., the Academy has posted its rules and guidelines online. It’s not a little digital pamphlet, either: It’s a 76-page document […]
Last month, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awards to better reflect an evolving music industry. Of those newly instituted guidelines, protocols involving technological advancements in machine learning sparked headlines: “Only human creators” could win the music industry’s highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music.
“A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category,” the rules read in part.
As the music industry continues to come to terms with this new technology, so too will the Grammys, says Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr.
“Here’s the super easy, headline statement: AI, or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination. Period,” Mason told The Associated Press. “What’s not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion.”
If an AI or voice modeling program performs the lead vocal on a song, the track would be eligible in a songwriting category, for example, but not a performance category, because “what is performing is not human creation,” he explains. “Conversely, if a song was sung by an actual human in the studio, and they did all the performing, but AI wrote the lyric or the track, the song would not be eligible in a composition or a songwriting category.”
“As long as the human is contributing in a more than de minimis amount, which to us means a meaningful way, they are and will always be considered for a nomination or a win,” he continued. “We don’t want to see technology replace human creativity. We want to make sure technology is enhancing, embellishing, or additive to human creativity. So that’s why we took this particular stand in this award cycle.”
The Recording Academy has long considered setting rules related to AI following the popularity of new songs created alongside AI technology: David Guetta’s “Emin-AI-em”, the AI -compositions of TikTok user @ghostwriter977, Grimes’ voice modeling AI software.
In order to establish their AI guidelines, the Recording Academy engaged in extensive research, including holding tech summits.
“I’ve met with the copyright office. We’ve talked about the future and what that looks like on a federal level and the legislative level,” Mason said, adding that AI conversations “really came to a head in the last six months.”
The new Grammy AI protocols were announced three days after Paul McCartney shared that “the last Beatles record” had been composed using artificial intelligence to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo. Without knowing the extent of the technology, Mason couldn’t confirm or deny whether the song would be eligible for a Grammy nomination.
“We’ll see what it turns out to be,” he said. “But I would imagine from the early descriptions that I’ve heard there would be components of the creation that would be absolutely eligible.”
So, can Grammy viewers expect to see work at least partially created with AI nominated for an award as early as next year?
It’s impossible to predict what is submitted. But as Mason affirms, “people are using the technology. I’m imagining it’s going to be involved in a lot of records a lot of songs this year, so we’ll see if some of them get nominated or not, but I’m sure there’ll be some that will be submitted.”
The 2024 Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, airing live on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+.
Reps. Ted W. Lieu (D-CA) and Ben Cline (R-VA) have joined together to re-launch and co-chair the bipartisan Congressional Songwriters Caucus to focus on advancing policies that support independent songwriters and strengthen copyright protections.
The new caucus has support from the Recording Academy, Nashville Songwriters Association International, BMI, ASCAP and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), according to a press release. No specific names of independent songwriters were included in the release, and a representative for Lieu has not responded to Billboard’s requests for more information.
The caucus was originally formed in 2003 by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) when she served as a House representative for Tennessee. According to her website, part of her focus at the time was cracking down on China’s intellectual property theft and how that affected songwriters and other creatives.
The interests of musicians is also represented in Congress with the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus, which was established in 2005 and continues today, helmed by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and new Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Hailing from Southern California, Rep. Lieu says he understands first hand how “talented songwriters… contribute to so much of our culture and society. I’m thrilled to join Congressman Cline in co-chairing the new bipartisan Congressional Songwriter’s Caucus, which will work to support America’s brilliant songwriters by ensuring they can protect their work and make a living doing what they love. Music contributes so much to our way of life, and we must ensure those creating it are compensated fairly. I’m grateful to the numerous songwriter advocacy organizations who’ve partnered with us on the creation of this caucus and look forward to working together to support our artists.”
“Making art, specifically music, is a powerful way to leave a mark on the world,” says Rep. Cline. “It’s a part of our everyday lives, from what we listen to on our commutes in the morning, to the music we select for our most important life events, such as birthdays, weddings, and funerals. But today’s modern music landscape can make it more difficult for certain artists, especially independent songwriters, to make a living. That is why I’m proud to co-chair the Congressional Songwriters Caucus, which will play an important role in promoting the songwriting community by working to ensure the creative rights of songwriters are protected.”
“It All Begins With A Song,” says Bart Herbison, executive director of NSAI. “the entire music ecosystem. Since the Songwriters Caucus was initially launched 20 years ago, technology has completely changed the way music is delivered. American songwriters still face challenges in the digital era and we are very grateful to Congressmen Cline and Lieu for their bipartisan support.”
“On behalf of our over one million affiliates, I’d like to thank Representatives Cline and Lieu for co-chairing the Congressional Songwriters Caucus. Both have always been champions for creators, and we are in excellent hands with them leading the charge for songwriters and composers on the Hill. We stand ready to work with them to ensure creators are supported by strong copyright law and that they are fairly compensated for their work,” adds Mike O’Neill, president and CEO of BMI.
“Songwriters are the foundation of America’s vibrant music industry, and we appreciate Representatives Cline and Lieu recognizing the importance of ensuring we have champions in Congress. As technology transforms the music landscape, ASCAP looks forward to engaging with members of the Congressional Songwriters’ Caucus to protect the rights of American music creators and defend the value of their hard work and creativity,” says Paul Williams, president of ASCAP.
“We applaud Representatives Cline and Lieu for leading the Congressional Songwriters Caucus and we are excited about today’s launch. NMPA is the leading advocate for music publishers and their songwriter partners and we greatly look forward to working with the Caucus to advance policy interests that will protect creators and ensure that songwriters thrive,” says NMPA president and CEO David Israelite.
“The Recording Academy is proud to support the re-launch of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus which helps connect songwriters and composers with lawmakers to ensure that their unique interests are heard and understood. We are grateful to the new Caucus Co-Chairs, Representatives Ben Cline and Ted Lieu, for their support and leadership and we look forward to working with stakeholders across the songwriter community to advance the Caucus forward,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
MusiCares announced the launch of Humans of Hip Hop on Thursday (June 22). The program is focused on providing resources tailored to the needs of the hip-hop community nationwide with an initial focus on eight key cities – Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles/Compton, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
“Like so many other communities post-pandemic, the hip hop community is in need of support,” Rico Love, the Miami-based chair of the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective, said in a statement. “I’ve heard my community voice their needs. With MusiCares and Humans of Hip Hop, I’m excited to work directly with artists and change-makers to get people the services that will really make a difference in their lives.”
A MusiCares spokesperson clarified that while the Black Music Collective played a key role in the creation of this program, the program is open to all members of the hip-hop community. “The Humans of Hip Hop program was created to achieve greater reach within a specific genre of music. Any person who identifies as part of the hip-hop music community can participate, regardless of race, age, gender, location or music profession. MusiCares is trying to reach people making hip-hop music and make sure MusiCares is addressing their needs.”
Humans of Hip Hop will bring programming to key cities over three years. The focus is on fostering long-term relationships to continue building MusiCares programming that is responsive to the needs of the hip-hop community.
Between August 2021 and July 2022, one-fifth of all MusiCares clients identified as Black music professionals. A MusiCares spokesperson says: “This statistic demonstrates that MusiCares serves a significant portion of clients from the Black music community. The program’s goal is to gain even further awareness for MusiCares’ services within a specific genre, open to all races.”
MusiCares will add a full-time project lead for Humans of Hip Hop to serve as the day-to-day focal point for building inroads and maintaining partnership with the hip-hop community.
“MusiCares is grateful to our sponsors and artist advocates for helping us kick off this program,” Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said in a statement. “This work will allow us to zero in on the unique needs of the community and continue our work creating meaningful services driven by leaders and advocates of hip-hop.”
“We are thrilled to see this important initiative for our music people in the hip hop community come to life,” Harvey Mason jr, CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares, said in a statement. “Providing the resources and services needed will ensure the community knows their voices are being heard.”
Ticket marketplace Vivid Seats is the program’s supporting partner. Vivid Seats has partnered with MusiCares since 2020, sponsoring COVID-19 and natural disaster relief efforts.
To be eligible for MusiCares assistance, applicants must be able to document employment history through a minimum of five years employment in the music industry or six commercially released recordings or videos. MusiCares may grant short-term financial assistance for personal or addiction needs that have arisen due to unforeseen circumstances. Funding may also be awarded to help with needs such as rent, car payments, insurance premiums, utilities, medical/dental expenses, psychotherapy, addiction treatment, sober living, and other personal expenses.
For more information about the Humans of Hip Hop program, visit musicares.org.
The Recording Academy sent invitations to more than 2,800 new voting members on Wednesday (June 21). That’s more than the 2,000 invitations to new voting members it sent out last year. Of those, nearly 1,300 invitees accepted, according to the Academy. This is having a major impact on the composition of the Academy, which has more than 11,000 total voting members.
To participate in the entire 66th Annual Grammy Awards process, invitees must accept their invitations by July 14.
In addition, the Academy sent invitations to more than 850 professional (non-voting) members today. This is also more than last year, when it sent invitations to more than 600 professional members, of whom more than 500 accepted, according to the Academy.
The Academy currently has more than 2,700 professional members.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. today sent an email to all members of the Academy saying: “Members are the foundation of the Recording Academy. And today, we’re privileged to extend invitations to a remarkable group of close to 3,700 creators and professionals spanning various genres, crafts, backgrounds, and regions to join our mission to cultivate a more enriching world for creators.”
Today at 11 a.m. PT, the Academy is hosting an Instagram Live with selected members of this year’s new class. They include Tony winner and Grammy nominee Myles Frost (MJ: The Musical), Emmy nominee Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) and rapper Rap-Unzel, who got her big break in 2017 when she competed on Jermaine Dupri’s reality TV series The Rap Game. The session will be moderated by Ashley Thomas, the Academy’s senior director of member outreach & systems.
In a recent video which was posted in the Academy’s site, Mason shed light on the fairly recent practice of actively reaching out to prospective new members rather than waiting for them to approach the Academy, which was the way it used to work.
“As of three years ago, we started going out into genres, into communities and saying ‘We need more banjo players, we need more rap artists, we need more women, we need more people of this genre’ and we started inviting people in. That’s how we started to change our membership. We’ve still got a long way to go. That’s how we’re going to get better results.”
The Academy will release data about the demographic breakdown of this year’s class of new inductees after the enrollment period ends on July 14.
The Recording Academy’s aggressive efforts to boost the number of women and people of people of color at all levels of the organization, including at the very top, have borne fruit.
People of color account for fully 60% of the newly-elected board of trustees, while women account for 45%. People of color represented a majority of the board (53%) for the first time two years ago, as Billboard reported. Women then accounted for 44% of the board.
For the first time in Academy history, women are serving in the top two posts on the board concurrently. Tammy Hurt has been re-elected to serve as chair; Dr. Chelsey Green was elected vice chair.
Hurt is the third woman to serve as chair, but the first two women in that role, Leslie Ann Jones and Christine Albert, both served alongside male vice chairs. Tony Cisconti was vice chair under Jones from 1999-2001. John Poppo served as vice chair under Albert (2013-15). (Poppo subsequently served as chair from 2015-19.) Rico Love was vice chair under Hurt in her first term (2021-23).
Hurt, from the Academy’s Atlanta chapter, is “an openly out LGBTQ+ officer, a landmark for the Academy,” as the Academy’s press release puts it.
Gebre Waddell was elected secretary/treasurer, succeeding Om’Mas Keith. Albert, from the Academy’s Texas chapter, has been re-elected to serve as chair emeritus. It’s her fourth term in that role.
“I’m pleased to introduce and welcome the new national officers and trustees to our Academy family,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “This great, new group reflects our eclectic music community and will carry forward our mission of serving all music people. I look forward to working alongside this esteemed group to continue the evolution of our Academy.”
In partnership with Mason, the national officers lead the trustees and Academy senior staff to shape the mission and policies of the Academy and its affiliates. The Academy defines its mission as its “commitment to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, fight for creators’ rights, protect music people in need, preserve music’s history, and invest in its future.”
Eleven members of the 2023 –24 board of trustees are Grammy winners. J. Ivy won his first Grammy in March in the new category of best spoken word poetry album for The Poet Who Sat by the Door. Falu Shah won his first Grammy in 2022 for best children’s music album for A Colorful World.
John Legend is the current trustee with the most Grammy wins (12), followed by Angelique Kidjo (five); Yolanda Adams, Chuck Ainlay, PJ Morton and Michael Romanowski (four each); Jonathan Yip and Natalia Ramirez (two each); and Ledisi, J. Ivy and Falu Shah (one each).
Here’s more background on the four national officers:
Tammy Hurt is a drummer, music producer and television producer. She is the second person from Atlanta to hold the position. Her latest musical project, Sonic Rebel, incorporates original, genre-blurred, Dolby Atmos music beds and mashup remixes. Her boutique entertainment firm Placement Music, founded in 2010, has worked with such clients as FOX Sports, Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, HBO, BET, Sony, the NFL and NASCAR. Hurt was active in the campaign that led to the passage of the Georgia Music Investment Act, the state’s first standalone music tax incentive.
Dr. Chelsey Green is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, entrepreneur, and educator. Dr. Green and her ensemble, Chelsey Green and The Green Project, have released five studio projects, one of which (The Green Room) debuted and peaked at No. 22 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart in October 2014. Green performs concerts, music festivals and educational workshops around the world. Committed to music education, advocacy and youth arts access, Dr. Green is an associate professor at Berklee College of Music and also serves as a member of the Program Council of NewMusicUSA.
Gebre Waddell is a tech entrepreneur, mastering engineer, and published author. As CEO and co-founder of Sound Credit, he played a key role in the creation and growth of the platform, driving innovation in the field of music fintech and credits. With more than 20 years of experience as a professional mastering engineer, he has made contributions to works of prominent artists such as Ministry, Public Enemy, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. In 2013, his book Complete Audio Mastering was published by McGraw-Hill Professional,
Christine Albert is an independent recording artist and founder/CEO of Swan Songs, an Austin, Tex.-based nonprofit that fulfills musical last wishes. She has released 12 independent albums as a solo artist and as part of the folk/Americana duo Albert and Gage, and has appeared on Austin City Limits.
Here’s the full list of the Academy’s 2023-24 board of trustees:
Newly elected or re-elected:
Christine Albert
Marcella Araica
Julio Bagué
Larry Batiste
Marcus Baylor
Evan Bogart
Anna Frick
Kennard Garrett
Tracy Gershon
Dr. Chelsey Green
Jennifer Hanson
Tammy Hurt
J. Ivy
Angélique Kidjo
Ledisi
Eric Lilavois
Susan Marshall
Donn Thompson Morelli “Donn T”
Falu Shah
Gebre Waddell
Paul Wall
Wayna
Jonathan Yip
Trustees who are currently midterm:
Yolanda Adams
Chuck Ainlay
Marcella Araic
Nabil Ayers
Jennifer Blakeman
Alex E. Chávez
Doug Emery
EJ Gaines
Jordan Hamlin
Terry Jones
Andrew Joslyn
Thom “TK” Kidd
Mike Knobloch
John Legend
PJ Morton
Natalia Ramirez
Michael Romanowski
Von Vargas