As a part of an effort to make its membership better reflect the diverse community it represents and help make the music industry a more inclusive space, the Recording Academy has invited 900 music creators of diverse backgrounds to join its membership.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We've invited 900 new voting members based on our task force recommendations to increase diversity: <a href="https://t.co/1tOaLPi0kD">https://t.co/1tOaLPi0kD</a> <a href="https://t.co/4rhQRpIHHs">pic.twitter.com/4rhQRpIHHs</a></p>— Recording Academy (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1047887539187535872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Invitations were sent to vocalists, songwriters, producers, instrumentalists and engineers from a range of music genres, ethnicities, age and gender groups, recommended by the Recording Academy and its independent Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. Creators who accept invitations by Nov. 15 will have the opportunity to make immediate change by participating in final round of voting for the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards. Invitees who accept after the date will be able to participate in next year's awards cycle. All invitees were pre-qualified for membership requirements by the Recording Academy.
"Our invite initiative is a first step to reach out to the diverse, talented individuals who make up the music community," said Tina Tchen, Chair of the Task Force. "The Recording Academy should reflect the scope and scale of the music industry and recognize the creative and artistic endeavors that enable it to thrive. Having a truly diverse membership is the foundation for any change. This initiative is one of the many ways the Task Force is encouraging change in practices while nurturing a more inclusive organization for Academy members today and for generations to come."
The Recording Academy, with input from the Task Force, has developed a new membership model that will focus on community-driven recommendations and will include a peer-review. The new model will go into effect Nov. 19.
The Diversity & Inclusion Task Force was established by the Recording Academy and assembled by Tchen earlier this year to look at issues of inclusion and diversity in the Recording Academy and greater music community. With the help of the Task Force, the Recording Academy has diversified its Nominations Review Committees and National Governance Committees. These committees look over many aspects of the operations of the Recording Academy, including awards and telecast. This year the Nominations Review Committees is 51% female and 48% people of color, compared to the group that was 28% female and 37% people of color last year. The National Governance Committees is 48% female and 38% people of color this year. Last year, its composition was 20% female and 30% people of color.
The Task Force also hosted Listening Forums in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Nashville to hear its member's experiences in the music industry.
READ: Recording Academy Names Diversity And Inclusion Task Force Members
