Grammy Awards
Recording Academy Has 1,345 New Voting Members—About 12% of Its Total
The Academy reports that 40% of those who accepted their invitations are female. Breaking it down by race, 53% are white, 23% are African American, 9% are Hispanic, 3% are Asian American and 5% are “other.” By age, 55% of new acceptances are age 39 or younger. Before this year’s freshman class joined the academy, women accounted for 26% of the academy’s overall membership. People from “traditionally under-represented communities” (meaning: non-white) accounted for 25%. People who are age 39 or younger accounted for 25%. Counting the new members, women continue to account for 26% of the academy’s overall membership. People from traditionally-underrepresented communities (non-white) now account for 27%. People who are 39 or younger now account for 28%. (If you’re puzzled why the percen...
Grammys Rename Best World Music Category Due to “Connotations of Colonialism”
In a continued push towards cultural sensitivity, the Grammys have changed the name of the Best World Music Album category to Best Global Music Album. The move comes a little under five months after the Recording Academy dropped “Urban” from what are now the Best Progressive R&B Album and Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album categories. (They still use the word in the Best Latin Pop or Urban Album category, for some reason.) It also echoes a change over at the Oscars, where Best Foreign Language Film is now known as Best International Feature Film. In a statement, the Recording Academy said the decision reflects a desire to “embrace a truly global mindset.” They continued (via Billboard), “Over the summer we held discussions with artists, ethnomusicologists, and linguists from around t...
CamelPhat Exceeds Sky-High Expectations On Debut Album, “Dark Matter”
Since CamelPhat announced the forthcoming release of their long-awaited and highly anticipated debut album, Dark Matter, fans have been patiently awaiting its October 30th due date. Now, with its release on the horizon, the hype has reached its peak. Composed of a monster list of 21 tracks, Dark Matter goes above and beyond its expectations, integrating and modernizing the dynamic fusion of house sub-genres that made the duo famous. Dark Matter is also the perfect demonstration of complexity and cutting-edge, effortlessly fulfilling the necessary standards of a potential Grammy Awards nominee. It will also be followed by CamelPhat’s biggest headlining tour to date this upcoming March, capping off with the duo making history as the first h...
As Grammy Voters Rush to Meet First-Round Voting Deadline, Here Are 14 Questions This Year’s Awards Process Will Answer
The Academy added something new this year: For the first time in this first round of voting, voters can listen to recordings for which entrants provided links on select streaming services. Before, this service was only available in the final round of voting. Final-round voting, to determine the winners, will run from Dec. 7 through Jan. 4, 2021. The winners will be announced on Jan. 31. Here are 14 big questions that this year’s Grammy process will answer. Will Taylor Swift return to the album of the year finals after her last two albums were passed over in that category? Swift’s last two albums, Reputation and Lover, were passed over for album of the year nods, but the not-to-be-denied Swift just redoubled her efforts and came up with an album they can’t overlook. Folklore spent seven wee...
Here are the Early Frontrunners for the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
With no ostensible light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel and the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on the horizon, the music industry is abuzz with speculation about what the 2021 ceremony may look like. However, while there are many question marks surrounding the ceremony itself, the music that forms the bedrock of the event is ironclad. As the tentative August 31st eligibility deadline looms, we put together a list of the early frontrunners for the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. Check out the leading contenders below, in no specific order of probability. Duke Dumont – “Therapy” British super-producer Duke Dumont stunned with the release of his debut album Duality in April 2020 after the record’s scintillating lead sin...
Grammys to Change Urban Contemporary Category to Progressive R&B
The Grammys’ Best Urban Contemporary Album category will now be called Best Progressive R&B Album, the Recording Academy announced on Wednesday morning (June 10). “There were some uncomfortable feelings around [the term urban],” Harvey Mason, Jr., chair & interim president/CEO of the Recording Academy, told Billboard. “I think it’s been a gradual shift within in the R&B community. It’s been discussed [within the Academy]. It’s been a little contentious at times.” Republic Records announced last week that the “urban” will no longer be used. But Mason pointed out to Billboard that the deadline for awards and nomination proposals was due back in March. So removing “urban” from the category was already happening before the record label’s announcement. Aside from the category change...
