GRAMMYs

Photo:: Ken Welsh/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

News

Record Store Day 2020 Moved To Three Separate "RSD Drops" This Fall

Facebook Twitter Email
The announcement of August, September and October installments comes after the independent record store celebration's initial move from April to June
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 30, 2020 - 8:59 am

Record Store Day 2020 has moved once again, and will now involve a series of “RSD Drops” occurring on three Saturdays this fall: Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 24.

Originally scheduled to take place on Apr. 18, Record Store Day was initially pushed back to June 20 due to the coronavirus crisis. But the new model of the annual celebration of independent record stores is built to fit the uncertainty of the of 2020's musical landscape. 

"2020 is different. So what we're doing this year is going to be different too," RSD posted. "No one knows what kind of party we'll all be in the mood for, or able to hold safely, at any time this year, in any part of the world. So we're focusing this year not on the party aspect of Record Store Day, but on getting the great releases on the RSD 2020 List into your local record store, and then into your collection."

The three RSD Drops will still get exclusive titles into participating indie record stors, and an updated list of RSD releases will be available June 1. 

The aim of Record Store Day continues to be, "Bringing revenue to the stores, as well as to the artists, labels, distribution and every other business behind the scenes making record stores work."

Grammys Newsletter

The Recording Academy Welcomes Valeisha Butterfield Jones As First-Ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

GRAMMYs

Photo credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

News

Harvey Mason Jr. To Announce 2021 GRAMMYs Nominations With Special Guests On Nov. 24

Facebook Twitter Email
The 63rd GRAMMY Award nominees in all 84 categories will be revealed during a star-studded livestream at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET
GRAMMYs
Oct 21, 2020 - 10:16 am

The wait is—almost over! On Nov. 24, we will finally know who the 63rd GRAMMY Award nominees are. The big announcement will happen during an hour-long livestream beginning at approximately 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET.

Chair and Interim Recording Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. will be joined by past GRAMMY winners, nominees and hopefuls from remote locations across the country as he reveals the nominees for all 84 categories. The virtual party will stream live on GRAMMY.com. Immediately following, all nominees for the 84 categories will be released via press release, on GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy's social media platforms.

Related: Looking Ahead To The 2021 GRAMMY Awards

The 63rd GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast on CBS, Sun., Jan. 31 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

Follow the Recording Academy / GRAMMYs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and use #GRAMMYs to join the conversation as it begins to unfold on Nov. 24.

Participating Talent For 2021 GRAMMY Nominations Announced: Dua Lipa, Sharon Osbourne, Imogen Heap And More

Grammys Newsletter

#ChangeMusic Summit

 

 
 
News

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Watch The Recording Academy's Inspiring "Change Music" Summit In Full

Facebook Twitter Email
Alongside Color Of Change, The Recording Academy hosted the virtual industrywide #ChangeMusic Summit, which welcomed leaders in music and media for panels on shifting culture, amplifying diverse voices, driving systemic change and more
Recording Academy
Oct 2, 2020 - 11:38 am

On Thursday (Oct. 1), the Recording Academy joined Color Of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization, to host a virtual industrywide #ChangeMusic Summit with leaders in music and media. The digital event is part of an ongoing series of initiatives facilitated by the Recording Academy to help accelerate equity and diverse representation within the organization and to further support inclusion outcomes across the wider music industry. 

Watch the #ChangeMusic Summit in full below. 

ChangeMusic: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit

The four-hour event brought together leaders, executives and experts for panels on shifting culture, amplifying diverse voices, putting leadership in action and driving systemic change throughout the music community. As well, prominent culture trailblazers and music business leaders openly discussed best practices and strategies to encourage systemic change and elevate women, Black and Latinx, as well as all underrepresented music creators and professionals.

Some of the event's participants included singer-songwriters Ledisi and Maimouna "Mumu Fresh" Youssef; television personalities Rocsi Diaz and Jeff Johnson; music culture influencer Karen Civil; award-winning poet and president of the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter J. Ivy; and prominent executives and industry professionals including Tuma Basa (YouTube), Ingrid Best (Combs Enterprises), Binta Brown (omalilly projects; Black Music Action Coalition), Shari Bryant (Roc Nation), Jeff Burroughs (Def Jam Recordings), Ryan Butler (Recording Academy), Valeisha Butterfield Jones (Recording Academy), Harvey Mason jr. (Recording Academy), Rashad Robinson (Color Of Change) and many others. See the full list of participants below.

As part of the summit, the Recording Academy and Color Of Change announced the forthcoming #ChangeMusic Roadmap, a tool to help people at all levels of the music industry take action to enact racial and social justice within the industry. The full roadmap will be released before the end of the year, however, the first aspect of the roadmap discussed was a needed commitment to transparent reporting on Black representation. 

Read: The Recording Academy & Color Of Change Team Up To Promote Positive Change In The Music Industry

"This is a crucial moment in our world, our nation and our society and it is now more important than ever that we bring people together to make progress on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion," Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "As leaders in the music industry, we have an opportunity as role models to lead by example and set a progressive tone for culture and society. We are honored that so many from the industry joined this important conversation and we're committed to the work ahead."

"Black artists' rich contributions have undeniably shaped the music industry into what it is today. The industry must tear down the systems that silence, harm and pigeonhole Black artists for profitable gains," President of Color Of Change Rashad Robinson said. "Everyone has the responsibility to work towards progress. The #ChangeMusic Roadmap will begin the process of giving the industry the tools to challenge injustice and enact tangible change now. The Recording Academy is setting a strong example for the industry from the inside, holding those in power accountable to change. Together, we can propel music into the equitable future Black artists have earned, and always deserved."

Participants in the #ChangeMusic Summit included: singer/songwriters Ledisi, Rico Love and Maimouna "Mumu Fresh" Youssef; television personalities Rocsi Diaz and Jeff Johnson; music culture influencer Karen Civil; poet J. Ivy; and prominent executives and industry professionals including Tuma Basa (YouTube), Ingrid Best (Combs Enterprises), Binta Brown (omalilly projects; Black Music Action Coalition), Shari Bryant (Roc Nation), Jeff Burroughs (Def Jam Recordings), Ryan Butler (Recording Academy), Valeisha Butterfield Jones (Recording Academy), Qiana Conley (Recording Academy), Caroline "Baroline" Diaz (Interscope Records), Michelle Edgar (Epic Records; Music Unites; XX Project), Ethiopia Habtemariam (Motown Records; Capitol Music Group), Erin Hall Harris (Combs Enterprises), Tammy Hurt (Recording Academy), Jeriel Johnson (Recording Academy), Debra Lee (formerly BET Networks), Harvey Mason jr. (Recording Academy), Adam McFarland (Blacksmith Recordings; #TheShowMustBePaused), Riggs Morales (Atlantic Records), Jessica Rivera (YouTube), Rashad Robinson (Color Of Change), Travis Robinson (Universal Music Group), Lenny Santiago (Roc Nation), Rashid Shabazz (Color Of Change), Dr. Maurice Stinnett (Warner Music Group), Tiffany R. Warren (Omnicom Group; ADCOLOR), and Roe Williams (KWL Enterprises).

The Recording Academy's strategic alliance with Color Of Change and solidarity with ongoing social justice movements, such as #TheShowMustBePaused, was also a highly prioritized conversation topic among attendees. 

Learn more about the progress and future announcements regarding the Recording Academy's Diversity & Inclusion efforts.

The Recording Academy Establishes Black Music Collective

Grammys Newsletter

The Wiltern in Los Angeles

The Wiltern in Los Angeles

Photo Courtesy of Live Nation

News

Live Nation Looking To Convert More Than 100 Venues Into Polling Places

Facebook Twitter Email
The plan is part of Live Nation's newly announced, wide-spanning initiative aimed at increasing civic engagement and supporting voting access in the upcoming 2020 elections
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Sep 16, 2020 - 10:38 am

Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, has announced a voting and civic engagement initiative that's aiming to convert more than 100 of the entertainment company's nationwide venues into polling places, a company representative unveiled Wednesday (Sept. 16). 

The global entertainment company is currently working with local officials across the U.S. "to examine the feasibility" of using the Live-Nation-owned venues as polling places, a press release notes. 

Currently, the company has confirmed four of its properties as polling sites in their respective jurisdictions: The Wiltern and Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Emo's in Austin and The Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta. Philadelphia's The Fillmore is in the "final stages of the vetting process," according to the press release. 

Read: Capturing Los Angeles' COVID-Closed Venues

The plan is part of Live Nation's newly announced, wide-spanning initiative aimed at increasing civic engagement and supporting voting access in the upcoming 2020 elections. The initiative also includes benefits for Live Nation employees, including paid time off to vote on Election Day. 

The company, in partnership with poll worker recruitment initiative Power The Polls, is also providing active employees with a full day of paid time off to serve at the polls in an effort to address the national shortage of poll workers caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

To support the wider initiative, Live Nation is partnering with multiple organizations, including: More Than A Vote, a coalition of Black athletes and artists "combating systemic, racist voter suppression," according to the nonprofit's Facebook page; Civic Alliance, "a non-partisan group of businesses working together to build a future where everyone participates in shaping our country," according to the organization's website; and HeadCount, a "non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy," according to its website. 

"Core to what we do at Live Nation is helping amplify voices on stage around the world, and supporting voting is another important way we want to continue making voices heard," Live Nation President and CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement. "We're honored to work with such incredible partners and will do everything in our power to support and empower voter engagement among our employees and the public."

Soul Clap Wants You To Rave The Vote This 2020 Election

Nick Demangone of Exeter Township sanitizes his hands before browsing records for sale at Vertigo Music in West Reading

Photo: MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Contributor

News

RIAA 2020 Mid-Year Report: Recorded-Music Revenues In The U.S. Grew More Than 5 Percent During The First Half Of 2020 Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Facebook Twitter Email
A new study from the RIAA shows that revenues from recorded music in the U.S. grew to $5.7 billion in the first half of the year, a boost largely driven by strong streaming numbers.
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Sep 10, 2020 - 11:55 am

A new mid-year report from The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) shows that revenues from recorded music in the U.S. grew to $5.7 billion, up from $5.4 billion as Billboard reports, in the first half of 2020; the change marks an increase of 5.6 percent.

Paid streaming subscriptions, which increased by 24 percent to more than 72 million on average, a growth of 14 percent in the first half of 2020 when compared to the first half of 2019, largely drove the aforementioned revenue growth.

Streaming music revenues—returns from subscription services like paid versions of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and others; digital and customized radio services, including revenues distributed by SoundExchange like Pandora, SiriusXM and other internet radio; and ad-supported on-demand streaming services like YouTube, Vevo, and ad-supported Spotify—grew 12 percent to $4.8 billion in the first half of 2020. 

Paid subscription revenues grew 14 percent to $3.8 billion, and further increased their share as the largest contributor, accounting for 67 percent of total revenues in the first half of 2020, according to the RIAA report. 

Digital downloads, a market that continues to shrink in the streaming age, fell from 8 percent to 6 percent for the category's share of total revenues in the first half of 2020. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the U.S. and international music business as well as the global advertising markets, "growth in ad-supported streaming revenues slowed dramatically," the RIAA writes.

As well, revenues from physical products decreased by 23 percent year-over-year to $376 million in the first half 2020, Variety reports. The RIAA report indicates a "significant impact from music retail and venue shutdown measures around COVID-19, as Q1 2020 declines were significantly less than Q2 compared with their respective periods the year prior." 

Revenues from vinyl albums increased in this year's first quarter, but later decreased in the second quarter, resulting in a net overall increase of 4 percent for the first half of 2020, the report reports. Vinyl album revenues, which reached $232 million, accounted for 62 percent of total physical revenues, marking the first time vinyl exceeded physical CDs for such a period since the '80s, as well as 4 percent of total recorded-music revenues.

Read the RIAA's 2020 mid-year report in full.

RIAA Report: Latin Music Is Growing Faster Than The Overall U.S. Music Market