The Grammys’ new era: A diverse and dynamic voting body

A transformative shift in Grammy voting

In 2019, the Recording Academy embarked on a mission to diversify its voting body by launching a new, community-driven membership model. This initiative has led to a significant transformation, with 66% of the current electorate comprising members who have joined in the last five years. This shift is poised to impact the outcomes of the Grammy Awards, potentially favoring artists who have long been overlooked, such as Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.

Reflecting the modern music landscape

The 2024 Grammys, held earlier this year, showcased the impact of this change, with all televised winners being female acts, including Taylor Swift, SZA, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus. This development is part of the academy’s 2024 Membership Report, which highlights the organization’s efforts to restructure its membership process for the first time in 60 years.

Stringent membership criteria

To ensure that the voting body reflects the current music community, the academy introduced new requirements for membership. Voting members must have 12 “commercially distributed, verifiable credits in a single creative profession,” with at least five of those credits within the previous five years. This criterion has been instrumental in reshaping the nominations and winners at the Grammys.

A more inclusive and representative body

The Grammys now boast over 13,000 voting members, with approximately 8,700 new members joining since 2019. The academy has seen a 65% increase in voting members who are people of color, including a 90% growth in Black voting members, a 43% increase in Latino members, and a 100% rise in Asian members. Additionally, the academy has surpassed its goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025, having already added more than 3,000, resulting in a 27% growth in female voting members.

A diverse and dynamic electorate

Harvey Mason Jr., the academy’s CEO, emphasizes the importance of a representative membership: “Our membership has never been more reflective of the music community than it is today. It includes more women, more people of color, and a broad representation of diverse genres and crafts. This dynamic body of music creators pushes the boundaries of a rapidly changing musical ecosystem while driving our culture forward and deciding Grammy outcomes.”

A broad spectrum of creative disciplines

The academy’s voting body spans over 13 creative disciplines, including songwriters, composers, producers, engineers, vocalists, and conductors. Songwriters and composers make up the largest voting group at 46%, followed by producers and instrumentalists at 33% each. Vocalists account for 32%, engineers for 19%, and arrangers for 12%.

Genre representation among voters

Members from the pop genre constitute 27% of the current voters, with jazz following at 19%. R&B and rock each account for 17%, while American roots and alternative genres each represent 13%. Classical music voters make up 12%, with rap, Latin music, and global music each at 10%. Country and dance genres each account for 9% of the voting body.

Upcoming Grammy milestones

First-round Grammy voting begins on Friday and continues until October 15. Nominations will be announced on November 8, with final voting taking place from December 12 through January 3. The live show is scheduled for February 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Anticipated nominees

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history, is expected to earn her fifth Album of the Year nomination with Cowboy Carter. Other artists anticipated to receive multiple nominations include Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Chris Stapleton, Ariana Grande, and Charli XCX.

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