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The Recording Academy & Color Of Change Team Up recording-academy-color-change-team-promote-positive-change-music-industry

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

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In addition to the partnership, the Recording Academy has made a $1 million donation to Color of Change
GRAMMYs
Jul 7, 2020 - 6:31 am

The Recording Academy and the nation's largest online racial justice organization, Color of Change, have announced a partnership to promote positive social change within the music industry. In addition to the partnership, the Recording Academy has made a $1 million donation to Color of Change.

The organizations will work together to identify key opportunities to drive and influence change in the music industry, and will be dedicated to building power for Black music creators and professionals. This work will span several strategies, including the creation of a Black music advisory group, a membership campaign focusing on the Black music community to drive new voting members to the Academy, an industrywide diversity and inclusion summit, and partnership in advocacy and legislative efforts.

Additionally, Color of Change will provide advisory support on the development and implementation of the Academy’s previously announced industry Inclusion Rider and Toolkit, which will be introduced in later in 2020.

"Music plays a profound role in shaping our culture, and Black music has been the cornerstone in the development of the world's dynamic soundscape," said Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the Recording Academy. "The Recording Academy has entered a new chapter of transformative change, and we are honored to partner with Color of Change as we work together to set new standards to elevate Black music creators and build a more diverse and equitable industry."

"Music has the power to reach new people and fuel social progress,” said Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change. "We look forward to building a long-term partnership with the Recording Academy and hope the work between our two membership-based non-profits will advance quickly accelerating changes in the industry."

Progress and future announcements regarding the Recording Academy's Diversity & Inclusion efforts can be found here.

From Aretha Franklin To Public Enemy, Here's How Artists Have Amplified Social Justice Movements Through Music
 

#ChangeMusic Roadmap

#ChangeMusic Roadmap

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#ChangeMusic Roadmap Announced recording-academy-and-color-change-announce-changemusic-roadmap

The Recording Academy And Color Of Change Announce #ChangeMusic Roadmap

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The latest initiative in the partnership, which was initially announced in October 2020, puts forth a roadmap to bring racial justice and equity to Black creators and professionals in the music industry
GRAMMYs
Dec 17, 2020 - 6:30 am

The Recording Academy and Color Of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization, today (Dec. 17) announced the latest step forward in their partnership with the release of the #ChangeMusic Roadmap, a guide to move the music industry beyond conversation and intention and towards actionable racial justice. Initially announced in October 2020 at the industry-wide #ChangeMusic Summit, the project is the latest initiative the partnering organizations have launched to promote tangible change within the music industry.

View the #ChangeMusic Roadmap in full.

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Combining Color Of Change's deep knowledge and understanding of inequities and systemic racism with the Recording Academy's position as the world's leading society of music professionals, the two organizations announced their partnership this past July, and have been working together to identify key opportunities to drive and influence change in the music industry. This has spanned several strategies, including the creation of the Black Music Collective, an industry-wide diversity and inclusion summit, partnership in advocacy and legislative efforts and more. 

The #ChangeMusic Roadmap rolled out today specifically identifies key areas the music industry can improve upon in its treatment of Black people: Invest in Black talent and careers, commit to transparent reporting of Black representation, align and partner with the Black community, promote civic advocacy and participation and invest in Black safety.

Black creators and professionals lead the music industry in innovation and creativity. Despite their undeniable influence, Black music industry contributions are routinely undervalued, an injustice this new roadmap aims to address. The #ChangeMusic Roadmap urges the industry to change patterns of exclusion and degradation and take action toward progress through the following:

  • Invest in Black talent + careers by supporting retention and training measures for Black people.
  • Commit to transparent reporting of Black representation by conducting a third-party and public-facing diversity audit and annually reporting pay disparities.
  • Align and partner with the Black community by contracting with Black-owned and Black-led businesses and partnering with brands that are in alignment with anti-racist social justice values.
  • Promote civic advocacy and participation by giving employees paid time off to participate in national elections.
  • Invest in Black safety by aligning with and supporting current calls around reexamining the role of police in Black communities and addressing structural issues in the criminal justice system.

The #ChangeMusic Roadmap is the second industry-wide racial justice roadmap. The first was the #ChangeHollywood roadmap Color Of Change released with actor Michael B. Jordan and in close partnership with Endeavor. 

"In a year of uprising, sickness, and distance, music has been both a healing force and a call to action. It's helped us process our pain and drive social change. This moment offers an unparalleled opportunity to change patterns of exclusion and degradation and take action toward progress," Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change, said in a statement. "To honor and amplify Black artists' past, present, and future contributions, the music industry must tear down the barriers that have been up for far too long. #ChangeMusic is our first step." 

"Change cannot wait. We believe this #ChangeMusic Roadmap will be key to driving progress in the Academy and the music industry. It was developed over the last few months with the goal of holding ourselves accountable. The roadmap is intended to serve as an important tool to support the changes we must urgently make together in music," Harvey Mason jr., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said. "This is a new era of the Recording Academy and we won't stop until the work is done. The Recording Academy and Color Of Change invite our peers and partners to join us on this transformational journey."

"Disrupting the status quo is our top priority and the #ChangeMusic Roadmap is a key driver for real change," Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy, stated. "We salute Color Of Change for their leadership and deeply appreciate their partnership during this unprecedented time. The Recording Academy will continue to move with urgency and measurable action to accelerate equitable outcomes for Black Music."

"For decades, the music industry has been built on the backs of gifted Black creators and professionals and there's been an awakening as the groundswell for equity and racial justice grows in volume and urgency,” Riggs Morales and Jeriel Johnson of the Black Music Collective said. "Representation is the gateway to equity, and at the heart of the Black Music Collective's mission is the acceleration and sustainability of Black representation within the Recording Academy and music industry at large. Because of this, the BMC is honored and proud to join this defining moment and endorse the #ChangeMusic Roadmap. We look forward to fighting for a more just and equitable future in music."

Color Of Change and the Recording Academy look forward to partnering with other music industry leaders to adopt the #ChangeMusic Roadmap, and to take larger steps toward true justice for Black creators and professionals. 

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

2021 GRAMMYs
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New Air Date For 2021 GRAMMYs Announced: March 14 joint-statement-regarding-2021-grammys-air-date

New Air Date For 2021 GRAMMYs Announced: March 14

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The 2021 GRAMMYs have been rescheduled to Sunday, March 14, 2021
GRAMMYs
Jan 5, 2021 - 3:32 pm

The following is a joint statement from HARVEY MASON JR., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy; JACK SUSSMAN, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming, CBS; and BEN WINSTON, GRAMMY Awards Executive Producer, Fulwell 73 Productions.

"After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.

We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this year's nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times."

2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List 

Selena

Selena

 

Photo: Pam Francis/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

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2021 Special Merit Awards Honorees Announced recording-academy-2021-special-merit-awards-lifetime-achievement-award

The Recording Academy Announces 2021 Special Merit Awards Honorees: Selena, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Talking Heads, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa And More

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The honorees, which also include Trustees Award honorees Ed Cherney, Benny Golson and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Technical GRAMMY Award recipient Daniel Weiss, will be recognized at the 2021 GRAMMYs on Sunday, March 14
Recording Academy
Dec 22, 2020 - 6:30 am

The Recording Academy has announced the honorees for its 2021 Special Merit Awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa, Selena, and Talking Heads. Ed Cherney, Benny Golson and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds are Trustees Award honorees; Daniel Weiss is the Technical GRAMMY Award recipient. The honorees will be recognized on the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Given the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, more details about the special award presentation event will be announced at a later date. 

"As we welcome the new class of Special Merit Award honorees, it gives us a chance to reward and recognize the influence they've had in the music community regardless of genre," Harvey Mason jr., Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said. "As a music creator and music lover, I am grateful that we are able to look back at our influences and see the impact that they have made on our community. In a year where music has helped keep us together, I look forward to honoring this iconic group of music creators."

Formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five are among the pioneers of hip-hop. The group's use of turntablism, break-beat deejaying, choreographed stage routines, and lyricism was a significant force in the early development of the genre.

Lionel Hampton* started his career as a drummer in Chicago in the 1920s before he played the vibraphone with Louis Armstrong. In the 1930s, he broke barriers with the Benny Goodman Quartet, one of the first integrated jazz bands in America. In the 1940s, he formed his own Lionel Hampton Orchestra, which became one of the longest-running orchestras in jazz history. 

Marilyn Horne is one of the most prolific opera singers of our time. Over her six-decade career, she has garnered numerous honors, including four GRAMMY Awards, a Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters from France's ministry of culture, and a National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors. 

As one of the first all-female rap groups, Salt-N-Pepa broke down a number of doors for women in hip-hop. Formed in Queens, N.Y., in 1985, the group crafted hits such as "Push It," "Shoop," "Whatta Man," and the GRAMMY-winning "None Of Your Business." They were also one of the first rap artists to cross over, laying the groundwork for hip-hop's widespread popularity in the early '90s.

The Queen of Tejano, Selena* became a household name not long after her career took off in the 1980s. Her 1993 album, Live, won Best Mexican-American Album at the 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards, marking the first time a female Tejano artist won the category. Though her life was tragically cut short in 1995, Selena's crossover album, the posthumously released Dreaming Of You, sold 175,000 copies on the day of its release, a then-record for a female vocalist.

Talking Heads, formed in 1975 in New York City, helped to pioneer New Wave music by blending elements of punk, rock, art pop, funk, and world music with an avant-garde aesthetic. In 2002, 11 years after the group disbanded, they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. 

Ed Cherney* was one of the most sought-after engineers in the industry. His four-decade career began as an assistant engineer working with Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones on Michael Jackson's Off The Wall. Cherney went on to record, mix and engineer albums for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. A four-time GRAMMY winner, he also founded the Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing. 

Benny Golson is an international jazz legend who has composed more than 300 works over his 70-year career. He has composed and arranged music for artists such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton, and is the only living artist to write eight jazz standards. His prolific writing also includes scores for many hit TV series and films.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds is a poignant tunesmith, prolific producer, superstar recording artist, and revolutionary label owner. An 11-time GRAMMY winner, including a record four Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical awards, Babyface has been instrumental in the careers of artists such as Toni Braxton, Usher and TLC and has crafted hundreds of pop and R&B hits with artists including Whitney Houston, the Whispers, Brandy, Boyz II Men, Madonna, and Eric Clapton.

Daniel Weiss is one of the true pioneers of digital technology. In 1985, he founded Weiss Engineering Ltd. in Zurich, Switzerland. The company has designed and manufactured groundbreaking digital audio equipment for mastering studios, including the IBIS digital mixing console and the ultra-high-quality Gambit Series digital products.

The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award honors such contributions in areas other than performance. The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees determines the honorees of both awards. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are voted on by the Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by the Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording industry.

*Denotes posthumous honoree.

2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List

GRAMMYs

Photo: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

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Statement From Recording Academy DEI Executives statement-recording-academy-sony-music-group-warner-music-group-and-universal

Statement From The Recording Academy, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group And Universal Music Group Equity & Inclusion Executives

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"Together, we are committed to the work ahead and the partnership required to drive necessary and long-overdue change in music for all underrepresented communities," the statement reads
Recording Academy
Dec 21, 2020 - 12:00 pm

As we near the end of 2020, a group of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) leaders from The Recording Academy, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group has released a statement. Read the statement in full below.

During one of the most difficult years imaginable in the world and in music, from racial injustice and social unrest to a public global health crisis, we are reminded of the unifying and healing power of music. As a group of recently appointed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion leaders, we are proud to share that we have joined forces during a historic two-part meeting to build community, discuss the current landscape of DEI in music and align on a shared agenda. Together, we are committed to the work ahead and the partnership required to drive necessary and long-overdue change in music for all underrepresented communities.

We stand in solidarity with #TheShowMustbePaused and the progress Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang have accomplished this year. We share the common goal of working to ensure that the companies we represent are doing the deep work to examine systemic racism and inequity, and are taking the necessary actions to accelerate progress on representation, equity and meaningful community engagement with and for Black people and communities.

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A. Ryan Butler (Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Recording Academy)

Valeisha Butterfield Jones (Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy)

Liliahn Majeed (SVP, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Officer at Universal Music Group)

Naledi Nyahuma Seck (Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Universal Music Group)

Dr. Maurice Stinnett (Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Warner Music Group)

Tiffany R. Warren (EVP, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sony Music Group)

The Recording Academy And Color Of Change Announce #ChangeMusic Roadmap

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.