The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, has declared plans to launch an African version of the esteemed award program as part of its mission to assist musicians worldwide.
As was done with the Latin Grammys in 1997, this will meet the demands of the music industry and work with others to provide a framework to support the Academy’s services and presence in fast expanding music regions.
Simultaneously, the Recording has signed unique agreements with important stakeholders and Ministries of Culture around the Middle East and Africa.
According to Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, “music is one of humanity’s greatest natural resources,” thus this is exciting. “Regardless of their origins, it is imperative that those who commit their lives to making music have opportunities, resources, and support.”
The Academy’s leaders have been visiting these areas over the last two years, taking part in listening sessions, attending high-level briefings, tours, demonstrations, and getting direct knowledge from the government ministries and artists pushing innovation in these industries.
The Academy collaborates with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the Ministry of Sports, Arts, and Culture in South Africa, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Ministries of Culture in Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and Nigeria. MOUs have also been inked with the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
In line with our objective and through these partnerships, the Academy seeks to investigate a number of important projects, such as:
(1). Supporting and promoting musicians at all levels by giving them a stage and voice.
(2) Giving artists more training to empower them. The Academy aims to offer educational programs and materials that are especially designed to meet the requirements of music creators in these areas through its online learning platform, GRAMMY GOTM.
(3) Creating original content that highlights the vibrant up-and-coming scenes and rich musical history of Africa and the Middle East.
(4) Improving assistance for current participants. All musicians will profit from cross-cultural learning, and the Recording Academy’s present and future members would gain a great deal from the organization’s presence in these quickly expanding music regions.
(5) Fighting for robust intellectual property (IP) laws and music creator safeguards.
(6) Supporting the music industry by working with partners to build and expand the Middle Eastern and African creative economies.
(7) The Academy will release a number of studies as the main component of this endeavor, showcasing the Academy’s analysis and understanding of various music marketplaces.
The Recording Academy President, Panos A. Panay, stated, “The Academy is committed to assisting musicians everywhere. “Our expansion efforts into these fast-growing regions reflect our commitment to fostering a truly global music community, where creators at every stage of their careers and from every corner of the world have the resources and support they need to thrive.”
The Academy is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards this year, and months after Seville hosted the first-ever GRAMMY Awards show to be held abroad, this exploration of the Middle East and Africa is just the beginning of plans to support music creators abroad. Additionally, the Recording Academy and the US State Department collaborated on a project last year to use music to promote peace.
Ghanaian creative entrepreneur Dentaa Amoateng, who is based in the UK, reacted to the news by expressing his enthusiasm over the development.
On social media, the CEO of GUBA Enterprise, who has played a pivotal role in driving the initiative to integrate African music into the Grammy’s operations, shared the following:
“At last, the Grammy Africa news has surfaced! We have been assisting the President and CEO of the Recording Academy (Grammys) behind the scenes as a senior consultant for this momentous occasion. I have had the honor of collaborating with my brothers @liban_soleman @efe_one to realize this vision for the Grammys over the past year and a half.
To guarantee a successful worldwide expansion, this journey has involved setting up encounters with heads of state and other influential figures.
I am immensely grateful to be a part of this momentous occasion in the Recording Academy’s global expansion. I am grateful to @harveymasonjr for providing me with this once-in-a-lifetime chance!
It all began with you, @strqtv, so thank you,” she wrote.
The category of African Music Performance was created.
The Recording Academy of the Grammy Awards established a new category for African music in 2023.
This was in response to reports that the plan was thinking of establishing an Afrobeats category to honor African music.
During his visit to Ghana in 2022, Harvey Manson Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, reaffirmed their efforts and highlighted their meticulousness in securing appropriate representation for African music.
One of the three new categories that have been added to the esteemed awards program for 2024 is Best African Music Performance. The Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Alternative Jazz Album are the other two.
genres of music that are included in Ghanaian drill and highlife.
