Recording Academy Partners With Color of Change to 'Elevate Black Music Creators'

Michael B. Jordan has teamed up with officials at non-profit Color Of Change to provide concrete steps for studios, production companies, and agencies to invest in anti-racist content.Amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement against systematic racism, the actor has partnered with the foundation to help production companies tell authentic black stories and work with black talent, ensuring more diverse onscreen representation.The #ChangeHollywood initiative provides a roadmap for change,

Chris Atlas has been promoted to executive vp, urban music & marketing for Warner Records, following a three-year tenure as the label’s senior vp, head of urban marketing. Based at the company’s Downtown Los Angeles headquarters, Atlas reports to Warner’s co-chairman/COO Tom Corson.“With 25 years in this business, Chris’s breadth of experience and knowledge is extraordinary, and he has forged deep relationships throughout the industry,” said Corson in a statement.

Jidenna has shared his latest single "Black Magic Hour," the first from the compilation project African On All Sides set to drop later this year. The album, alongside an accompanying documentary, hopes to seamlessly blend artists across a host of diasporic genres and industries in Africa, the U.S., Latin America, and the West Indies.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor years many observers have said that the Recording Academy president/CEO role was too big for a single person, and the organization on Friday announced the creation of two key senior leadership positions — chief operating officer and chief industry officer — amid a larger staff reorganization.According to the announcement, key features of the reorganization are the streamlining of most of the Academy’s staff into three divisions:  the Entertainment / Consumer

Branden Chapman, the academy’s new COO. Trade/industry will be led by Ruby Marchand, who joins the academy as its new chief industry officer.

At this point, you already know: most (side note: this should be all! ALL!) concerts have been postponed or cancelled into the foreseeable future due to the current COVID-19 . An exclusive survey conducted by Suzy, a real-time consumer insights platform, found that 38 percent of concert goers ages 21 to 35 will not attend a concert until there is a vaccine for the Coronavirus.

Around 75 Black Canadian entertainment professionals, including top producers, actors and directors, have signed an open letter to the federal government in Ottawa — the top investor in local film and TV content —demanding an end to “systemically racist policies" that keep many from advancing their careers without heading to Los Angeles.

dedicated Instagram account has been posting sightings and what we're calling «cupdates.»Why is this a big deal (and why are people already hawking them on eBay)? In March, Starbucks suspended the use of reusable personal cups and tumblers to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. According to Business Insider, the new color-changing cups and other summer-inspired merchandise will be available across the U.S. later this month.

Lil Nas X,GunnaandVictoria Monetare among 2,321 people who have been invited to join the Recording Academy. That is nearly 1,000 more invitations than the academy issued last year, when it invited 1,340 new members.

Harvey Mason, Jr., the academy’s chair and interim president/CEO, tells Billboard. “So we have three options for people this year for the first time ever -- they can pay no dues or they can pay their regular dues or they can pay their regular dues plus extra to cover somebody who might be having some financial hardship.“If that [dues payment] was something that was uncomfortable for them at this time, we want to be sensitive to that.

Lil Nas X, Gunna and Victoria Monet are among 2,321 people who have been invited to join the Recording Academy. That is nearly 1,000 more invitations than the academy issued last year, when it invited 1,340 new members.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Recording Academy announced that it has extended membership invitations to more than 2,300 established music professionals. As part of the organization’s stated drive toward greater diversity, it notes that the 2020 class of invitees is 48% female, 21% African-American or African descent, 8% Hispanic and 3% Asian-American and Pacific Islander.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Recording Academy and Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the U.S., have announced a partnership to “promote positive social change within the music industry.” The Academy announced to members last month that it has made a $1 million donation to Color of Change.According to the announcement, the organizations will “work together to identify key opportunities to drive and influence change in the music industry, and will be dedicated

Shonda Grant has been promoted to chief people & culture officer at the Recording Academy. She fills the position after Gaetano Frizzi left the company nine months ago. Grant, a nine-year academy veteran, was most recently managing director, people and culture. Grant will report directly to Harvey Mason, Jr., chair and interim pres

Billboard hope to uplift and empower African Americans during this cloudy and dubious time. For the month of June, Billboard had artists provide a playlist designed to remedy the heartaches endured by the Black community.Newly-signed Warner Records vocalist Bren Joy is the last artist to whip up a hearty playlist for us, one that centers on finding "love ourselves and our community as a whole.""During these times, it’s extremely important to feel and embrace.

Billboard hope to uplift and empower African Americans during this cloudy and dubious time. For the month of June, Billboard had artists provide a playlist designed to remedy the heartaches endured by the Black community.Fresh off the release of his latest Lyrics to Go episode No.

The Recording Academy has announced a summer 2020 call-to-action initiative to help provide pandemic and tax relief for music creators and music businesses, and to promote social change through legislation. The seven-week effort will culminate with the academy's seventh annual District Advocate event on Aug. 12.

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.