The Recording Academy invited more than 2,000 people to become voting members and more than 600 additional people to become professional (non-voting) members. The invitations were extended on Tuesday (June 28).
The Academy has been aggressive in recent years about expanding and diversifying its membership. It currently has more than 12,000 voting members and more than 3,000 professional (non-voting) members.
Kelley Purcell, the Academy’s vp of membership & industry relations, and Ashley Thomas, director of member and outreach systems, recorded a welcome video that was posted on the Academy’s social channels on Tuesday. The video featured comments from three new members, Monogem, Kalen Kelly and Kameron Glasper.
In the video, Thomas reported that 56% of the total 2,700 invitees are from “underrepresented communities.” She further said that the new invitees show “equality and equity” between men and women — “continuing our commitment to creating a more welcoming and safe environment for all individuals across the industry.” She noted that the new member invitees represent more than 13 different crafts and 22 different genres.
In the video, Purcell said, “Our new members symbolize the future of the Academy and represent the direction we are headed in as an organization and the music community at large. Their new ideas, recommendations and observations help us drive positive progress as we continue our evolution.”
Those invited have until July 12 to accept their invitations if they are to vote for the 65th annual Grammy Awards.
Viewers can tune in to the following member activations across the Academy’s social channels, which discuss the importance of community and membership at the Academy:
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- Instagram Live: (can be viewed at the link)
- Participants: Morgxn and Gata. Moderated by Janette Becerra, Recording Academy membership manager.
- Twitter Spaces: (not available for playback)
- Participants: Roveena, Lyric Jones, Omah Lay and Tony Brown of Maverick City Music. Moderated by Amanda Garcia Davenport, Recording Academy membership manager.
- Instagram Live (recording live now)
- Participants: Breland and Mahogany L. Browne. Moderated by Ashley Thomas, Recording Academy director of member outreach and systems.
The Academy told Billboard that it will not waive its $100 annual membership fee as it did the last two years to members or prospective members experiencing hardship amid the pandemic.
Below is a sampling of reactions from artists regarding their invitations:
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- Shaun Ross, R&B and Soul Artist
- Tillie, Pop Artist
- Jaden Michaels, Singer/Songwriter
- Monogem, Singer/Songwriter
- Lyric Jones, Singer/Songwriter
- Byron Juane, R&B Artist
- Alexandra Petkovski (AKA FJØRA), Composer/Producer
- Max Escobar, Audiomack (professional member)
- Praiz, Nigerian R&B Singer
- Connie Han, Jazz Pianist
- Mayah Dyson, Singer/Songwriter
- Andrew Listermann, Riveting Entertainment (professional member)
- Bizzle Osikoya, PlugNG (professional member)
- Roger Argenis, Guitarist of SayVerse
- GreekDaGod, Rapper, Producer
- Charles Streeter, Streeter and the Tribe
By coincidence (or not), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences also announced its new membership class earlier today. They invited 397 people to join their ranks, a fraction of the number the Recording Academy invited. The Motion Picture Academy released the names of all those invited, something the Recording Academy did not do.
The Motion Picture Academy also revealed the gender and racial breakdown of its 2022 class of invitees: 44% are women, 37% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 50% are from outside the U.S.
