Updated Monday, Jan. 3, 2024, to embed the video of the livestream event.

The Recording Academy elevates Indigenous music people year-round — and one day on that calendar has special import. That's Indigenous Peoples Day, of course. And on the very day the Recording Academy and representatives of the acclaimed TV show "Reservation Dogs" will discuss and celebrate Indigenous music and culture in a special livestream.

The panel discussion featured the show's composer Mato Wayuhi and music supervisor Tiffany Anders, followed by a performance from Vincent Neil Emerson, who bears the flame of the Texas singer/songwriter tradition.

"Reservation Dogs" is an acclaimed Indigenous American TV series that ran from 2021 to 2023. Featuring a fully Indigenous body of writers and directors — and starring Devery Jacobs, D'Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, and Pauliina Alexis — "Reservation Dogs" follows four rural, Indigenous teens as they spend their days "committing crime and fighting it."

The soundtrack to "Reservation Dogs" has been acclaimed on multiple levels, from "its distinctive vision and… its total centering of Indigenous experience" in rural Oklahoma" to its personal nature: "Whether twangy and fierce, hushed and melancholy, or catchy and celebratory, the songs reflect each character's journey as much as the show's dialogue."

Falling on the second Monday of October as a counterweight to Columbus Day, Indigenous People's Day is meant to honor America's first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today.

Composer Mato Wayuhi is an Oglala Lakota multidisciplinary artist originally from South Dakota. Tiffany Anders is a musician, music supervisor and radio DJ who has worked on films by Drake Doremus, Gregg Araki, Ry Russo-Young, and more. Vincent Neil Emerson is an acclaimed Indigenous songwriter hailing from East Texas. And Sean Smith is the Executive Vice President of Communications at the Recording Academy, as well as a freelance writer.

Watch the informative and candid conversation in the video above — and in its wake, take some time to consider the invaluable contributions of Indigenous peoples the world over.

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The Recording Academy announced today that Sean Smith will join the company in the newly created role of Executive Vice President of Communications, effective Oct. 25, 2021, and Andie Cox has been elevated to Vice President of Communications, effective immediately. Reporting to Co-President Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Smith, with the support of Cox, will lead the overall communications strategy for the Academy, including media relations, corporate communications and reputation management. Cox will report to Smith and join him in reinforcing key Academy goals and initiatives through the organization's communications efforts.

As Executive Vice President, Smith will work with the executive office to develop the Academy's communication strategy and contribute to the strategic planning process for the organization with a global focus, while directly managing communication objectives that promote, enhance and protect the organization's brand reputation. He will also lead corporate communications, event and entertainment public relations, brand reputation, and crisis mitigation and management, including the client relations and deliverables of specialized communication agencies. Cox is responsible for supporting Smith in the creation of the overall communications strategy for the Recording Academy and implementing and executing communications plans and promotions for the GRAMMY Awards and all GRAMMY Week initiatives. She also leads public relations efforts for the Recording Academy's 12 Chapters nationwide — ensuring the Academy brand is authentically represented throughout various Chapter events and programs — and spearheads the communication strategies for the Academy's Advocacy Department, Awards Process and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives.

"The Academy continues to expand the talent and breadth of experience within its leadership team with the appointments of Sean and Andie to their new roles in the communications department," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "Together with their extensive knowledge and innovation in the field, they will play a pivotal role in enhancing our communications efforts as we head into a global sphere."

Prior to joining the Academy, Smith served as executive vice president of corporate counsel at public relations firm Porter Novelli, where he led the global corporate counsel practice. In this role, he developed and led corporate reputation campaigns and managed issues for some of the world's biggest brands, including the Recording Academy. While at the organization, he served as an advisor to various CEOs and prominent executives under Porter Novelli's clientele. Earlier in his career, Smith served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he managed all aspects of the Department's brand and reputation and was the principal advisor to the Secretary and several other Cabinet Members. During his tenure at DHS, Smith led the Obama administration's public response to breaking news. He also held past roles in various political campaigns, including three presidential campaigns, and served in a variety of public affairs capacities and has been a lecturer at Yale University, Johns Hopkins and the University of California San Diego.

In 2020, Smith received the PR Week Purpose Award for his work in the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief campaign and was awarded the PRSA Silver Anvil in Issues Management. He is a member of the board of LookUp.live, an organization dedicated to addressing youth mental health and well-being, and a volunteer with the Chinook Indian Nation. Smith is also a writer, focusing on fatherhood.

Cox joined the Academy in 2014 as a Senior Manager in the Marketing Communications department and was later promoted to Director. She most recently served as Managing Director of Communications, where she led numerous communications campaigns, including strategies for the organization's membership model refresh in 2018, the Academy's first-ever Black Music Collective, and its partnership with Color Of Change. Cox also led communications efforts for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in support of music industry professionals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the Academy, Cox held roles at the GRAMMY Museum, Victory Records, Bonneau Production Services and Ragan Communications.

In 2020, Cox received the PR Week Purpose Award for her work supporting the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief campaign. She was also recognized on PR Week's 2021 Top 40 Under 40 list for her impactful contributions to the public relations industry.

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At 90 years old, Chicago blues electric bassist and singer/songwriter Bob Stroger still loves his job and is ready for more, even decades into his career. After moving from small-town Missouri to Chicago as a teen and seeing Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf tear up Silvio's club, he knew he was one day going to become a bluesman, too. While sometimes he got paid and sometimes he got stiffed for gigs, Stroger knew he'd finally made it when fellow blues artist Eddie King got him a show to play for $15.

In the latest episode of Histories: Chicago Blues, a new, limited-run video series presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter, Stroger talks about his upbringing in the Chicago blues scene, his days playing in Europe alongside Otis Rush, and his favorite part about being a musician: the smiles it provides for listeners.

Histories: Chicago Blues chronicles the story of Chicago blues as told by artists from across three generations of the blues who've helped shape the genre. The series, featuring interviews conducted by GRAMMY-nominated blues artist Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, includes episodes with modern blues artist and Chicago native Melody Angel as well as GRAMMY-nominated Chicago blues harmonica maestro Billy Branch.

For the past 60 years, the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter has recognized and celebrated the creative accomplishments of our members across the Midwest, fought for their collective rights, and supported them in times of need. We are proud of our legacies and excited to continue looking ahead. Here's to the next 60.

Histories: Chicago Blues: Billy Branch On How The Blues Is A Foundation Of American Music

Billy Branch was drawn to the blues when he was a kid, when he'd hop on the train at any hour of the day to find and learn from the harmonica players bearing their souls in West Side Chicago. The three-time GRAMMY-nominated blues harmonica maestro has been playing for almost 50 years now, and he's still on a mission to keep the blues alive.

"Please embrace the blues more strongly, because this is where it all came from!" Branch pleads with a smile in the latest episode of Histories: Chicago Blues, a new, limited-run video series presented by the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter.

Launched this week, with the debut episode featuring modern blues artist and Chicago native Melody Angel, Histories: Chicago Blues chronicles the story of Chicago blues as told by artists from across three generations of the blues who've helped shape the genre. The three-part series, featuring interviews conducted by GRAMMY-nominated blues artist Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, concludes later this week with an episode featuring blues legend Bob Stroger.

In the newest episode of Histories: Chicago Blues, Billy Branch talks about his journey as "a student of the blues," some of the iconic Chicago blues clubs, and the need to celebrate the Black creators of the blues as forefathers of American music.

For the past 60 years, the Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter has recognized and celebrated the creative accomplishments of our members across the Midwest, fought for their collective rights, and supported them in times of need. We are proud of our legacies and excited to continue looking ahead. Here's to the next 60.

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