iHeartMedia just offered New York a musical banquet. On Dec. 10, the radio giant's Jingle Ball Concert rolled through town, where Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, the Jonas Brothers, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Saweetie, and other A-listers primed the audience for the holidays in style.

There was just one problem — iHeartMedia doesn't remunerate music creators for their work on their 855 radio stations across the U.S.

Sure, the Jonas Brothers presumably were paid for performing their hit "Sucker" on stage at Jingle Ball. But when the same song plays on iHeart's Top 40 station in your region, no royalty is going to the artists or the team of studio professionals integral to making "Sucker" a hit.

And unlike for the three Jonas brothers, there's no Jingle Ball tour for Randy Merrill (mastering engineer), Andrew DeRoberts (guitar), and Serban Ghenea (mixer), to name a few of the creatives on “Sucker” who lose out on income from corporate radio. And the same can be said for the creators who collaborate with Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X, Tate McCrae, and others in the Jingle Ball lineup.

Big corporations are continuing to profit off the backs of music creators, and that’s why artists and producers are bringing a fight for justice on Capitol Hill to earn fair compensation for their work. And working with creators and the music industry, the musicFIRST Coalition is shedding light on this century old inequity. On the eve of Jingle Ball in NYC, musicFIRST Chair Joe Crowley released a statement.

"Like Scrooge, iHeart hoards its profits while middle-class music creators cannot pay their bills," he wrote. "Wealthy broadcasters such as iHeartRadio make no secret of their financial dominance. They crow on earnings calls about soaring advertising revenue and stock buybacks. Yet, they offer nothing to our music creators."

The American Music Fairness Act would end the loophole that allows broadcasters, like iHeartMedia, to get away with playing music and not compensating the performers and producers who created it. The bipartisan bill establishes a domestic performance right for sound recordings played on AM/FM radio stations.

Under AMFA, artists, performers, producers, and other music makers involved in the creation of a sound recording would be entitled to fair market rate for their music played on radio stations across the U.S., just like they currently receive on other music platforms like streaming services, satellite radio, and internet radio.

Companies like iHeartMedia continue to profit off music creators' labor, but this paradigm doesn't have to happen forever. Let's use events like the Jingle Ball Concert to remind ourselves of why it's important to support legislation that elevates all music people — not just a moneyed few.

What Songwriters Need To Know About The Next Royalty Rate Decision

"We have a short window of time this morning, where we're going to download a lot of information into your brain." So told Todd Dupler, the Recording Academy's Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer, early in the morning of May Day, to a small, still-waking-up, but attentive crowd at the Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C.

After Michael Lewan — the Recording Academy's Managing Director of State and Federal Advocacy — laid down some logistical ground rules, the throng set forth into the pre-summer mugginess to advocate for two crucial policy needs.

The first is calling on Congress to protect the image, likeness and voice of individual creators from AI fakes through legislative measures such as the No AI FRAUD Act in the House of Representatives and the Senate's No FAKES Act discussion draft. 

The second is reforming the live event ticket marketplace to better protect artists and fans through legislation including the Fans First Act and a similar House bill, the TICKET Act.

After the morning briefing, groups with advocates went to the U.S. Capitol for dozens of meetings with bipartisan and bicameral legislators to seek their support for these important issues and bills. Throughout the morning, Academy members met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT), along with multiple House Chairs and Ranking Members, and other influential leaders.

After these initial meetings, the GRAMMYs On The Hill 2024 advocates stopped by the historic Nancy Pelosi Cannon Caucus Room to park, dine on lunch, and meet with more key champions.

After introductory remarks from Lewan, the No AI Fraud Act's lead sponsor, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) — who Lewan praised as "the brains behind it" — took the podium. "Your identity is in danger because of artificial intelligence," Salazar asserted.

And she drilled down into why — which involved portents far afield from music peoples' rights.

"Did you know that right now, someone with not very good intentions, can grab the image and voice and likeness of your daughter or so, and transfer that information to make pornography?" Salazar said. "Someone produces your voice and likeness and insults a boss, and you may be fired."

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Salazar's lead co-sponsor of the No AI Fraud Act, echoed the congresswoman's sentiment. "It's not just about the use of your likeness," she said. "You have the right to ask permission to get compensated for it.

Following the lunch briefing, the 60 plus advocates headed back across the nation's capital to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a special roundtable discussion with senior members of the Biden-Harris Administration. While at the White House, advocates were briefed on AI policy, ticket reforms, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the president's work on gun violence, before a special conversation with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 

And with that, with another successful Advocacy Day in the bag, music advocates went home assured that they'd made a phenomenal difference in the music landscape.

To those who would abuse the ticketing system — meet the true music fans. And, to those who'd leverage artificial intelligence against real peoples' autonomies — meet human power.

The 2024 GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards were sponsored by City National Bank and benefited the GRAMMY Museum.

How The House's No AI FRAUD Act And Tenn.'s ELVIS Act Will Protect Human Creativity

The GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards returned to D.C. on April 30 and united lawmakers and artists in an unparalleled celebration of music and human connection. The star-studded event, taking place once again at The Hamilton Live in downtown Washington, began with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.

The genre-defying electroacoustic duo Arkai took the stage, held their violin and cello, and laid into a reharmonized "The Star-Spangled Banner." Like any exceptional musical performance, it hit like a gale force of humanity. It also showcased how human creativity has always embraced new technology with stirring and inspiring results. 

The power of music to help us reconnect with our humanity provided the foundation for two issues the Recording Academy spotlighted during the evening. The first is the need to protect the image, likeness and voice of individual creators from AI fakes through legislative measures, such as the House's No AI Fraud Act and the Senate's No FAKES Act discussion draft.

But thanks to the threat to likenesses and copyrights that is AI, music's essential humanity is under siege. Ticketing, too, is being hijacked; accordingly, the second issue on the docket is reforming the live event ticket marketplace to better protect artists and fans through legislation including the Senate's the Fans First Act and the House bill the TICKET Act.

And as always, when an existential threat for artists surfaces, the Recording Academy is there to defend its global community of music makers.

Prior to Arkai's thrilling performance, a host of music's best and brightest gathered in front of a step-and-repeat to express their feelings on AI and ticketing in 2024. One was TV producer, musician, and Recording Academy member Candiace Dillard Bassett, who had the honor of hosting the GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards.

Bassett conceded there are a lot of components of AI that are "beneficial to our everyday lives." However, "If it's not being contained, then it's a danger. It's abusive," she said. "As creators, we deserve to have our likeness and our images. It's very simple.

"The biggest challenge is knowing that the artists' economy can be really diminished by technology," said three-time GRAMMY winner and three-time nominee, poet J. Ivy.

GRAMMY-winning jazz singer Sara Gazarek noted the importance of artists themselves raising their voices — not just tech giants and the like. "Not just business owners and CEOs and people who are set to profit from some of these things," she said, "but really the ones who are representing culture and the human side of what it is that we're doing."

And Todd Dupler, the Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer at the Recording Academy, put it gravely: "We've already seen the technology get to the place where people can have their voice or their image manipulated in ways that they would've never approved of or would never have never intended somebody to see."

On the topic of ticketers' rights, artists were equally vociferous.

"You can only garner the trust of your fans once," said two-time GRAMMY winner, singer/songwriter Lauren Daigle, noting her $40 shows have ballooned to $400 thanks to intercepting bots. "I feel like it's time for change. We need to create legislation that's going to stop this from happening."

This year's Best New Artist nominees, the War on Treaty, concurred. "Based on where their paychecks land, I think that that's a difficult conversation," said their Michael Trotter Jr. "I think that we should remember the human. I think we need to remember that art touches everyone and that we need to do everything we can and make it as accessible as it can."

"We need our fans, and they need us to give an exchange," said thrice-nominated rapper Rapsody. "We can't take advantage of their fandom and their pockets."

"It's a bipartisan issue," concluded Dupler. "Everybody understands how important live music and live events are for our community, and so we're optimistic that we can get something done."

And with that, the audience took to their feet for Arkai's patriotic performance. 

As mentioned, Bassett led the program as master of ceremonies with aplomb. The gestalt of GRAMMYs On The Hill 2024 was to honor Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who've reached across the aisle to protect the music community.

Sen. Cornyn, a dogged fighter against ticket predation, was the first to receive his GRAMMYs On The Hill Award.

"What I love about music is that it's a universal language that connects people to each other, across borders, across boundaries," he said. "This bill takes the power out of the hands of the bots, the bad actors, and puts it back in the hands of the people that make live shows so special."

Right then, the spousal duo War and Treaty — who are about to open for the Stones in stadiums — manifested that power with a killing performance of "That's How Love is Made." ("Everything in life boils down to the human experience," Trotter declared beforehand.)

A rousing performance of gospel classic "Oh, Happy Day" followed, led by The Choir Room's Dwan Hill. Hill cajoled the capacity room of lawmakers and industry leaders to rise to their feet and share in a communal, squarely flesh-and-blood, musical experience.

Then, Tammy Hurt, the Chair of the Recording Academy's Board of Trustees, brought out an unwavering advocate — and Minnesota legend — in Jimmy Jam. He presented the second GRAMMYs On The Hill Award to Klobuchar, "for her unprecedented leadership and allyship to music and its makers."

In her witty and wide-ranging speech, Klobuchar brought the audience's memories back to Covid, and its catastrophic effect on the live music industry. "Now that music is back and concerts are back big time," she declared, "the important job of working across the aisle to bring common sense rules to online ticketing."

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. then took the stage. "Music is irreplaceable. Do you agree?" he poignantly asked the audience. "This means the people behind the music are irreplaceable — do you agree with that?

Mason was quick to point out that AI isn't all bad — in and of itself, it's not a bogeyman to defeat.

"Some of this technology, it's really exciting," he said. "It's going to be used by innovative creators to make some amazing and incredibly creative new music, I'm sure… but I'm also concerned. We've seen it used to manipulate and exploit individuals without their knowledge, without their permission.

"And that's why we're advocating for appropriate AI guardrails that will safeguard the irreplaceable human creators behind the music," he concluded, "while we lean into the promise and the possibilities of this new technology."

Daigle then took the stage to perform an effervescent "Soak Up the Sun" in tribute to the night's marquee honoree. Then Crow herself, the 2024 Creators Leadership Award honoree, took the stage in a cream-hued pantsuit. Crow performed one new song ("Evolution") and one classic ("Every Day is a Winding Road"), augmented by miles of slide guitar.

"Music is the energy that moves your body," the nine-time GRAMMY winner, 32-time nominee, and tireless advocate for creators' rights underscored. "It does not exist in a computer." Of course, computers are blessings — they're responsible for monumental music.

But it always comes back to the human — and whether through the lens of AI or ticketing, the 2024 GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards were a celebration of all things we dreamt up.

The 2024 GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards were sponsored by City National Bank and benefited the GRAMMY Museum.

2024 GRAMMYs On The Hill: How Sens. John Cornyn & Amy Klobuchar Support Music & Advocate For Creators' Rights

The 2024 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards is sponsored by City National Bank and benefits the GRAMMY Museum.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have left significant imprints on the music industry through their legislative efforts. This week, the Recording Academy is recognizing and celebrating their contributions to advancing pro-music legislation as honorees at the 2024 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards on Tuesday, April 30, in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Cornyn, hailing from Texas, has been a steadfast supporter of music creators throughout his tenure in Congress. He played a pivotal role in championing the Save Our Stages Act, which provided a crucial lifeline to venues affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a $16 billion federal relief program. This substantial funding injection marked the largest-ever U.S. federal investment in the arts, underscoring Cornyn's commitment to preserving the cultural landscape and supporting music venues nationwide. Additionally, he has been instrumental in shaping key policies that benefit the music community, including his collaborative efforts with Sen. Klobuchar on initiatives such as the Fans First Act, aimed at reforming live event ticketing to better protect artists and fans alike.

"As a Texan, a love of live music is in my blood, and I've been proud to lead the charge on legislation that helps artists, entertainers, and venues meet the needs of their fans, including the Save Our Stages Act and the Fans First Act," Sen. Cornyn said. "I want to thank the Recording Academy for honoring me, and I look forward to continue to work on behalf of performers and fans across Texas and the nation."  

Learn More: GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards 2024: Everything You Need To Know Including Mission, Goals, Honorees & Achievements

Sen. Klobuchar, representing Minnesota, has emerged as a prominent figure in advocating for music creators' rights and shaping legislation to support the industry. As a key supporter of the Music Modernization Act, she played a pivotal role in ushering in the most significant update to music licensing in over 40 years. This landmark legislation revolutionized royalty payments for songwriters, ensured fair compensation for legacy artists, and provided essential protections for producers and engineers under copyright law. And, during the COVID-19 pandemic she took the lead, alongside Senator Cornyn, in crafting the historic Save our Stages Act to ensure live music venues would remain in business for artists and fans to enjoy for years to come. 

"It's an honor to be recognized by the Recording Academy, an organization that uplifts performers, songwriters, and other music professionals in our country," Sen. Klobuchar said. "Music has the power to bring us together and it is something we can never take for granted. That’s why I fought to pass the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act with Sen. Cornyn to ensure independent arts venues survived the pandemic, and why we are working together to improve the ticketing experience with the Fans First Act. There's nothing like live music and concerts, and I remain committed to ensuring artists can continue to share their music with the fans who love it." 

Both Sens. Cornyn and Klobuchar have actively engaged with the music community, participating in events such as GRAMMYs on the Hill and meeting with Recording Academy members to gain insights into the industry's pressing issues and priorities. Their unwavering commitment to advancing creator-friendly legislation and their collaborative efforts in shaping impactful policies underscore their dedication to supporting music creators and nurturing the vibrancy of the music ecosystem.

This year, the Recording Academy is also working with Sens. Cornyn and Klobuchar to further several key pieces of legislation, including the Fans First Act, which represent the most comprehensive set of reforms to strengthen the live event ticketing marketplace and protect fans, artists, and independent small businesses.

As the 118th Congress continues its legislative work, the Recording Academy looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Sens. Cornyn and Klobuchar, recognizing them as invaluable allies in the ongoing effort to uplift and safeguard the interests of music creators nationwide.

Academy Members Advance The Fight For Artists' Rights in State Capitals Across the Country

The 2024 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards is sponsored by City National Bank and benefits the GRAMMY Museum.

The Recording Academy is taking the beat to Capitol Hill next week for GRAMMYs on the Hill 2024, where GRAMMY winners and nominees and music professionals will visit lawmakers to advocate for legislation advancing music creators' rights. 

The Recording Academy's annual GRAMMYs on the Hill is the signature music event in Washington, D.C., where music creators and congressional members come together to celebrate our progress in the music space, shed light on the issues the music community is currently facing, and advocate for real change. GRAMMYs on the Hill 2024 comprises three marquee events: the annual GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards on Tuesday, April 30, which this year honors nine-time GRAMMY winner Sheryl Crow and Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); the annual GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day on Wednesday, May 1, Capitol Hill's largest and most prestigious legislative event for music; and the inaugural GRAMMYs on the Hill Future Forum on Friday, May 3, which will explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the music community.

This year, the Recording Academy is focused on two critical issues affecting the music industry and fans everywhere: AI fraud and live event ticketing reform. Several key pieces of legislation are being furthered toward these efforts, including the No AI FRAUD Act in the House of Representatives and the Senate's No FAKES Act discussion draft, to protect the image and likeness of artists everywhere. The Fans First Act and the TICKET Act represent the most comprehensive set of reforms to strengthen the live event ticketing marketplace and protect fans, artists, and independent small businesses.

"The Recording Academy is in the business of celebrating human excellence and human creativity," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "That was the biggest concern when we crafted our GRAMMY Award policies. We understand that AI is a part of our industry and here to stay, but our awards guidelines stay true to our mission to honor the people behind the music we love so much. Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award."

Today and forever, it is essential that we protect the people in music. Because music makes us human. As a nonprofit organization that supports advocacy across the music industry, the Recording Academy champions rights for all music creators — not just our Academy members. Being a music advocate means championing music creators' rights year-round, and Recording Academy members have the power to enact true change in music. 

In the guide below, learn more about the important actions and issues driving GRAMMYs on the Hill 2024, which are aimed at protecting the livelihoods of present and future generations of music creators. And learn more about the Recording Academy's efforts to safeguard human creativity and help creators navigate the use of AI across the music industry today.

Learn More: GRAMMYs On The Hill Awards 2024: Everything You Need To Know Including Mission, Goals, Honorees & Achievements

No AI FRAUD Act & No FAKES Act

Across our landscape, technology like generative AI and bot automation threaten to rob our society of human-made music, the timeless, essential craft of expression that transcends cultures and has defined what it means to be human across eons. 

The Recording Academy is leading the national conversation about AI in music, using GRAMMY Week in Los Angeles as a platform for a congressional hearing to explore how AI digital replicas threaten individual artists. 

GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day will further these efforts, with a focus on the bipartisan No AI FRAUD Act, the first federal solution with protections for all Americans who could be vulnerable to fraudulent replicas. The bill was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Madeline Dean (D-PA). In the Senate, the Recording Academy is also pushing for support of Senator Chris Coons's (D-DE) bipartisan effort to introduce a draft of the No FAKES Act with the strongest possible protections for individuals. 

Read more: How The House's No AI FRAUD Act And Tenn.'s ELVIS Act Will Protect Human Creativity

"AI increasingly affects every single one of us," said GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Lainey Wilson during her testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee during its GRAMMY weekend hearing. "We need artists to keep telling stories and connecting with fans and bringing people together authentically. We need to keep humanity in art — we cannot lose that. The No AI FRAUD Act is a great place to start."

Although AI technology holds promise, its rampant expansion without reasonable controls has resulted in real wage theft of working-class musicians and artists. We're rapidly headed toward a world of machine-made music and, worse, the disenfranchisement of millions of human music creators, the repercussions of which would be nothing short of catastrophic. The No AI FRAUD Act and its Senate counterpart establish that everyone's image, likeness and voice are federally protected and that they have the ability to enforce this right against misuse.

 "The bill [No AI FRAUD Act] establishes in federal law that an individual has a personal property right in the use of their image and voice. That's just common sense, and it is long overdue," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. "The bill also empowers individuals to enforce this right against those who facilitate, create, and spread AI frauds without their permission." 

The risks of AI are also being addressed at the state level with new laws setting a precedent for national policy. The ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security,) signed into law in Tennessee on March 21, marked a historic milestone as the first legislation in the nation focused on safeguarding the core elements of artistic identity, including voice and likeness, in the context of AI. The Academy is also working closely with lawmakers in Illinois to update the state’s laws to better protect individuals from digital replicas. 

Protecting the image, likeness and voice of individual creators from AI fakes through legislative measures such as the No AI FRAUD Act in the House of Representatives and the Senate's No FAKES Act discussion draft are integral components to the Recording Academy's year-round mission. 

Live Event Ticketing Reform: Fans First Act & the TICKET Act

The human connection that forms between artists and fans through live music is at the heart of what makes music special. Today, that special connection between artists and fans is threatened by predatory online ticket resellers employing bot automation.

This year's Advocate Day will focus on reforming the live event ticket marketplace to better protect artists and fans through legislation including the Senate’s Fans First Act and a similar House bill, the TICKET Act. The Fans First Act is an active effort of this year's GRAMMY on the Hill political honorees, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN.), who introduced the bill in 2023.

"We urge Congress to act on [the TICKET Act] quickly and continue its effort to protect both artists and fans by increasing transparency and limiting bad actors that take away from the joyous experience of live music," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr.

Read more: Ticketing Reforms Make A Big Leap In Maryland: Here's What You Need To Know

Deceptive trade practices in live event ticketing hurt consumers, performers, and small businesses across the country. Artists want to protect their fans from bulk resellers, bots, and predatory practices, while stakeholders in the secondary market want to restrict the ability of artists to tour and sell tickets the way that they want.

The Fans First Act and the TICKET Act will introduce comprehensive reforms that safeguard consumers from fake tickets, price gouging, and other deceptive practices, provide transparency in ticket pricing, and restore integrity to the ticketing marketplace.

"While fans suffer because of this broken system, so do artists" declares a collective statement of support from the Fix the Tix Coalition, which includes the Recording Academy as a founding member. "Predatory resellers view tickets as nothing more than commodities to be traded for outrageous sums, throwing away the cultural and communal value they provide for our society. They exist to undermine the hard work, talent, and livelihoods of artists, inserting themselves as unnecessary and unwanted middlemen who make their money off the backs of the artists and venues who partner to make these events happen."

The Recording Academy is advocating for congress to listen to the artists on the stage and pass meaningful, bipartisan ticketing reforms that protect consumers, elevate creative economic development, and restore trust in the ticketing experience for fans and artists. In fact just this past week, more than 300 artists, including dozens of GRAMMY winners and Recording Academy members, sent a letter to Congress in support of passing the Fans First Act. 

The Recording Academy invites members to engage in one of our actions here with the hope of creating positive change in the music industry. For non-members, your support means the world. Please use your voice to advocate for the rights of creators' and fans on these key issues so we can all enjoy the music we love so much. 

House & Senate Take Critical Steps Toward Ticketing Reform: Learn How