Recording Academy Chief Harvey Mason Jr. on Social Change and What the 2021 Grammys Might Look Like

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne silver lining of the pandemic has been an absolute avalanche of songs dropping every week — there are 99 in Spotify’s “New Music Friday” and we’ve heard loads more. There were fewer protest-themed songs this week than in the past couple, and while we certainly applaud and encourage social relevance in song — something that was all too rare before last month — the occasional feel-good song is not unwelcome.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRapper Huey, best known for his 2006 debut single “Pop, Lock and Drop It,” was killed in a double shooting in Kinloch, Mo., outside of St. Louis late Thursday night, according to the St.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterThe Recording Academy has announced a summer 2020 call-to-action initiative to help provide pandemic relief for music creators and music businesses, and to promote positive social change through legislation.

The board includes two former best new artist winners.

Tatiana Maslany is returning to television in a big way, part of the cast of HBO’s upcoming reboot of “Perry Mason”.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn the wake of the financial havoc wreaked on the live-entertainment industry by the coronavirus pandemic, Live Nation plans to make significant changes to its policies regarding concert tours and festivals when touring is expected to resume in 2021, according to a memo circulated to talent agencies.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy Awards are great, but the Recording Academy’s greatest contribution to the music industry is arguably MusiCares — its charitable foundation to support music industry workers in need.In simpler times, it helps people with everything from emergency health care to substance-abuse treatment, but in recent months much of its focus has been on helping all music people — not just Academy members — who have lost their livelihoods due to the coronavirus pandemic that

The Recording Academy has addressed the conflicts of interest in the Grammy Awards nomination committee and made several changes to the awards categories.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMusic mogul and entrepreneur Russell Simmons, who has been accused of rape or sexual misconduct by multiple women, as recounted in the recent documentary “On the Record,” appeared on “The Breakfast Club” Wednesday morning — and the Time’s Up movement and one of his accusers were quick to respond.

The Recording Academy has announced new changes that will impact the 2021 Grammy Awards. In a press released obtained by E! News, The Academy announced updates to the Best New Artist category, Latin, R&B and Rap Fields, Nominations Review Committees and more.

The Recording Academy announced nine key changes to its awards and nominations process on Wednesday morning (June 10). These changes were ratified at the semiannual Trustees Meeting in May.

Republic Records announced last week that it will cease using the term “urban,” Mason noted that the Academy’s changes actually were decided last month.

Denise Petski Senior Managing EditorThe Recording Academy has announced several rule changes for the 63rd Grammy Awards, including omitting the term “urban” from its awards categories and language.The academy is changing the name of the urban contemporary album category to progressive R&B album. The word “urban” has been subject to increasing criticism, most recently by Tyler, the Creator, who called it “a politically correct way to say the N-word” at the January ceremony.

Billboard discussed the changes with Harvey Mason, Jr., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy.1. In best new artist, the Academy dropped the rule that an artist may have released no more than 30 tracks prior to the start of the current eligibility year: The Academy had sought to quantify its definition of best new artist, but found that it’s almost impossible to come up with numbers that are fair in every situation.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Grammy Awards will cease using the term “urban” in its awards and language as part of the latest round of annual changes to its rules and guidelines, the Recording Academy announced Wednesday (June 10).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, Tompkins Square Records today released “Out of the Ashes,” a 16-track compilation album of area artists that will benefit two charitable organizations in the city.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAlong with the social-change efforts announced by its parent company Universal Music Group earlier this week, Republic Records has announced its own campaign — one aspect of which is that the company will cease to use the term “urban” to describe black music. “ ‘Urban’ is rooted in the historical evolution of terms that sought to define Black music,” the memo reads.

By Jem Aswad