In 2019, the Recording Academy introduced a new community-driven membership model to diversify its voting body. Now, 66 percent of voters have joined in the last five years.
 |
| Miley Cyrus, SZA, Taylor Swift Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Amy Sussman/Getty Images |
This shift marks a significant change for the organization and could lead to artists, such as Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, who have long been overlooked, finally winning in major categories.
The impact was evident at the 2024 Grammys, where all televised winners were female artists, including Taylor Swift, SZA, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus.
This update is part of the Academy’s 2024 Membership Report, released on Thursday. Over the past five years, the Academy conducted a full review of 100 percent of its members, leading to some not being requalified.
This process helped phase out older voters and bring in newer ones, altering the landscape of Grammy nominations and winners.
In 2019, the organization revamped its new member submission process for the first time in 60 years. The process now requires two industry recommendations and a peer review for voting members.
Additionally, creators must have 12 “commercially distributed, verifiable credits” in one creative profession, with at least five of those credits earned within the past five years. Members who have not renewed within five years will automatically undergo a renewal review.
“Our membership needs to reflect the current music community, which is why we have specific joining and renewal requirements. We aim to ensure that it consists of people who are actively involved in today’s industry.
The more we represent the music community, the bigger impact we can have,” says Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Academy, to The Hollywood Reporter.
Currently, the Grammys have over 13,000 voting members. Since 2019, about 8,700 creators have become voting members, and there’s been a 65 percent increase in voting members who are people of color. Black voting members have grown by 90 percent; Latino members by 43 percent; and Asian members by 100 percent.
The Academy also surpassed its goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025, having already added more than 3,000. Since 2019, the number of women voting members has risen by 27 percent.
“We’re not at our final destination yet, but the Recording Academy has never been more reflective of the music industry,” Mason says. “It includes more women, more people of color, and a diverse array of genres and talents. This represents a vibrant body of music creators shaping Grammy outcomes and pushing our culture forward. It’s the most diverse Grammy electorate ever.”
The Academy’s voting body spans 13 creative fields, including songwriters, composers, producers, engineers, vocalists, and conductors. Songwriters and composers make up the largest group, accounting for 46 percent, followed by producers and instrumentalists at 33 percent each. Vocalists comprise 32 percent, engineers 19 percent, and arrangers 12 percent.
Pop genre members make up 27 percent of the current voters, with jazz second at 19 percent. R&B and rock follow at 17 percent each, then American Roots and alternative music at 13 percent each.
Classical represents 12 percent, while rap, Latin music, and global music account for 10 percent each. Country and dance genres each have 9 percent.
First-round Grammy voting begins Friday and will run until Oct. 15. Nominations are scheduled to be announced on Nov. 8, and final voting will take place from Dec. 12 through Jan. 3. The live show is set to air on Feb. 2 from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Beyoncé, the most awarded artist in Grammy history, is likely to earn her fifth album of the year nomination with Cowboy Carter. Other artists expected to receive multiple nominations include Swift, Eilish, Lamar, Post Malone, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Chris Stapleton, Ariana Grande, and Charli XCX.
0 Comments