Valeisha Butterfield Jones headshot

Valeisha Butterfield Jones

Photo: Sam Harris

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Meet Recording Academy Co-President Valeisha Butterfield Jones: The Executive Discusses Her DEI Roots, Her Life In Music & Her Mission To Make The Music Industry A Fairer Space For All

For Recording Academy Co-President Valeisha Butterfield Jones, diversity, equity and inclusion aren't values to pay lip service to: They must encompass every facet of the Recording Academy and the music industry at-large for both to thrive

Recording Academy/Nov 5, 2021 - 09:52 pm

After the reckoning on race in America in 2020, making sure people of all sorts are represented, respected and heard in the workplace took priority for some 85 percent of global employers. It also elevated those who uphold the values of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) — including Valeisha Butterfield Jones, the newly appointed Co-President of the Recording Academy.

Before accepting the role in 2021, alongside Co-President Panos A. Panay, Butterfield Jones was the Academy's first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. "Valeisha has been a force in driving systemic change and enhancing equal opportunities for underrepresented groups across entertainment, technology and politics," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in 2020, the year she assumed that role.

And it's just that ability that led Mason jr. to bring her into the triage of Academy leaders, shifting to his role as CEO. How did Butterfield Jones navigate her trajectory to the executive leadership team at the Recording Academy? By never losing sight of her values — or her vision — as she maneuvered through the music industry for a quarter of a decade.

Read More: The Recording Academy Names Valeisha Butterfield Jones And Panos A. Panay As Co-Presidents

Butterfield Jones has constructed a singular legacy in the DEI space. After getting her start at HBO Sports, she worked as the global head of inclusion for Google, Inc., served as the national youth vote director for the Obama for America campaign, and served as the national executive director and senior vice president of Rush Communications / The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.

She's also the co-founder of Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), a nonprofit, global coalition of people committed to the balanced, positive portrayal of women in the entertainment industry. Naturally, Butterfield Jones' mission also touches on the disability sphere; she was the national director of diversity and inclusion for the Alzheimer's Association.

Butterfield Jones's efforts have since garnered national acclaim: Institutions from Forbes to Fortune to Elle have recognized her.

Want to know more about this dynamic, young leader making the Recording Academy and the music industry at-large a more equitable and inclusive space? Get to know Valeisha Butterfield Jones via her work, wisdom and words.

Tell me about your early life and communion with music that started you down this path as Co-President of the Recording Academy.

My path to this role has been a long and rewarding one, for now — gosh! — almost 25 years.

It began when I was a child. When I was growing up in Wilson, North Carolina, I had a deep, deep passion for music. I was a superfan. I was the kid that listened to the radio all day — whatever new album was coming out, I was the first in line at the record store to buy it. Eventually, it evolved into me wanting to understand a little bit more of the business behind the art that I love so much.

[In the '90s,] Atlanta was a big hub for music as it is today. So, that was one of the key drivers for me to go to Atlanta, enroll in Clark Atlanta University [in 1996], and land my first job in music, working for Wu-Tang Clan. That's where it all began. It's been this beautiful, hard journey for almost 25 years — and I would not change a thing.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“You can lift as you climb, but they can’t be weights.” — Me</p>&mdash; VALEISHA (@valeisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/valeisha/status/1356458213403545601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What was it like to take the leap from a DEI role to Co-President of the Recording Academy? What convinced you to accept the role?

It's an exciting leap — and not one that I expected. I was just really excited about the opportunity for DEI to be in such a senior leadership position at the Academy.

I think it really was a win for every DEI practitioner and person working in DEI across the globe. I don't want to overstate it, but I really feel like DEI is a business imperative and more companies and organizations are recognizing it as one. Harvey was such a visionary and leader, in my opinion, for seeing the value of DEI in his office. I just really appreciate the trust that he has in me to take on this new role.

What went through your mind when Harvey asked you and Panos to be Co-Presidents? Were there any reservations on your end?

I'll never forget the call. He called me one evening and said, "Hey, I have this idea. Would you consider taking on this role as Co-President?" It was an immediate "yes." I didn't need to think about it.

I felt and still feel so honored — and quite frankly, blessed — to be able to do this work in a different way. So, zero hesitation, all excitement — really humbled by it. I feel ready.

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As Co-President, what are your overall strategies to elevate the Recording Academy and uplift all music professionals?

First, it starts with unity. Every day, you hear our Chair of our national Board of Trustees, Tammy Hurt, and our CEO, Harvey Mason jr., talk about unity — and that's big. So often, we want to skip to the business. But we also have to be in the business of unity, and that's something that I know is a top priority for us and will continue to be.

The second is transparency: continuing to share what we can, when we can, to the widest possible audience. Always thinking about what we can share around our progress, what we can share about what we've learned — or even the areas that we want to improve — is important.

But then for us, it's global. So we're thinking about a global strategy. How do we reach more people to fulfill our mission in non-U.S. markets, while also making sure that we're expanding our offerings here in the U.S.?

You'll be hearing a lot more from us about what our plans are around that strategy — how we plan to always be more inclusive — and a part of that strategy will be expanding our global footprint.

"​​In every single meeting now, you're hearing DEI as a part of the strategy and the focus. To me, that signals that we're really getting it and doing the work. Because I really believe that DEI shouldn't fall on one person — it's everyone's job."

What are some lessons you absorbed from your background in DEI as per how the Recording Academy can improve as a diverse and inclusive space?

For me, it's really understanding how to analyze data and make data-driven decisions, but not at the expense of the human experience. What I believe is transferable is: How do we make business decisions with our hearts, and with data at its core?

As we think about every single area of our organization, DEI is at the heart of it. One of my dreams, always, since my first day in the role here as DEI Officer, was to make sure that we were building DEI capabilities across every single person and across every single department of the business.

And we're getting there. I really feel like we're moving in that direction. I'm so proud every time I'm in a meeting with our membership department and [Vice President of Membership & Industry Relations] Kelley Purcell, or with our Chapters in all 12 markets — or, you name it, the communications team, the marketing team.

In every single meeting now, you're hearing DEI as a part of the strategy and the focus. To me, that signals that we're really getting it and doing the work. Because I really believe that DEI shouldn't fall on one person — it's everyone's job.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">**whispers** less talk, more action ....</p>&mdash; VALEISHA (@valeisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/valeisha/status/1341895724384935936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What specifically can the Recording Academy and the music industry at-large do to create true diversity, equity, and inclusion in this field?

I think it starts with the fact that I am a Black woman working in the American music industry — and I have been for more than 20 years. It's really getting down to the real details around what the experiences of women like me and like many of our members are in music.

A part of that's around physical and psychological safety, part of that is around opportunity and access, and all the things that we need to thrive as women working in music. The Women In The Mix Study, which I'm so excited about, will really anchor and focus us around the areas that we need to prioritize for women working in the American music industry.

How do we resource it? How do we become better advocates? And again, how do we become better partners internally and externally in service of our members.

This study is going to help us find solutions to the issues facing women in music. That's the whole purpose of this study, and it's all-encompassing. We're going to find solutions that ensure that women in music can flourish and create pathways to success for them.

With the addition of yourself and Panos as Co-Presidents, Harvey's role has become a triage. What do you enjoy about the creative energy between you three?

We are three parts coming together as this trifecta of different experiences, leadership styles and ideas we want to bring to the table.

I think it's so exciting because we're going to learn from each other, stretch each other, and hold each other accountable. I think the three of us are really leaning into this new model in a very collaborative way. We are talking all day every day, we're building strategies together all day, and, more importantly, we're moving them to action.

So, I think it was such a brilliant idea for Harvey to bring in fresh voices — people with new ideas and different perspectives — to expand and move us into the next chapter as an organization.

"It is the people's choice. We are putting the complete power and decision-making authority into our members' hands."

There have been a lot of changes surrounding the GRAMMY Awards voting process. What sparked these major shifts and what is the ultimate aim with them?

The beautiful thing about the Recording Academy is that we are a membership organization and the GRAMMY Award is a peer-voted award. The new changes that you've seen with our rules [reflect] the transparency that you've seen around our awards process.

The changes are a direct result of hearing from our members that they wanted to see a change. We are always listening and responding to the feedback from our members, and that's what you've seen through these awards changes.

We always follow the guidance and direction of our members, and that's what we've done here. I'm excited to be a part of an organization that puts its members and the creative community first. We respond when we hear the feedback.

Read More: ​​64th GRAMMY Awards: Everything You Need To Know About First Round GRAMMY Voting

These voting changes will be implemented for the 64th GRAMMY Awards in 2022. Why is it especially important to vote this year?

It is the people's choice. We are putting the complete power and decision-making authority into our members' hands.

The voter turnout is so, so, so important this year because we really want to make sure that every single person's voice is heard and reflected on what you see throughout our voting process — and then, what you eventually see on GRAMMY night. I'm really excited about this model of letting our members decide.

Internally and externally, where do you see the Recording Academy in five years?

What I hope to see is that, one, we build on the solid foundation that has already been established over the last 64 years. So often, I think change can be scary, but what I'll say is that I'm excited to embrace it in a way that builds on the solid foundation.

The second thing is to make sure that every single member is heard and seen in the Recording Academy. It means we make sure that our members are part of our process, that we are being transparent about our process, and that we're always listening and making decisions based on the feedback from our members. That's so important.

Last but not least, I really hope that we accelerate our mission. We are in service of music creators and that's why we're here. We love music. We're part of the music community, and to be even better allies and advocates is the goal.

You'll start to see some of that in the next year —and even five years — with the services we offer, the support that we provide to music creators, and, ultimately, the programs that you'll be hearing about soon.

Again, just being a better partner to the music community every day is top-of-mind. We'll be doing that soon through some of the work that you've seen unfolding.

The 64th GRAMMY Awards: Everything You Need To Know About The 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show & Nominations

Maren Morris
Maren Morris

Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy™️/photo by Timothy Norris, Getty Images© 2024.

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Maren Morris On 20 Years Of GRAMMY Camp & Her Advice To The Next Generation Of Music Industry Professionals

Almost 20 years ago, a 15-year-old Maren Morris attended GRAMMY Camp, the GRAMMY Museum's signature music industry camp for U.S. high school students. This year, the GRAMMY-winning country superstar came full circle.

Recording Academy/Jul 17, 2024 - 10:27 pm

It's been decades since Maren Morris first attended GRAMMY Camp all the way back in 2005 — nearly 20 years ago. Still, she remembers precisely how she felt then and how much of a "rare opportunity" it was.

She met luminaries like Jimmy Jam and Paul Williams, and the setting made the then-15-year-old feel legitimized and creatively elevated. "I learned how to peer into myself and learn what unique thing I had to bring to the table musically," she tells the Recording Academy.

Since then, Maren Morris has had an entire career: She won a GRAMMY, received 17 GRAMMY nominations, joined the country music supergroup the Highwomen, topped the Billboard country charts, and much more.

Morris just had a full circle moment — Recording Academy style. On Monday, Morris returned to GRAMMY Camp, the GRAMMY Museum's signature music industry camp for U.S. high school students, as a guest artist to celebrate the program's 20th anniversary, which takes place in Los Angeles this week. She joins viral NYC bass phenom Blu DeTiger and captivating New Jersey singer/songwriter Jeremy Zucker. Together, they are guiding students on their paths to a career in the music industry. 

"I think that the main thing I'm imparting is that they don't need to rush their art or building their fan base," Morris says. "With social media and trending sounds and dances every day, it's easy to feel like you're getting lost or not keeping up fast enough with what your peers are doing.

"Just stick to being authentic," she continues, "and people see that, no matter what time they arrive to the party for you."

Another one of Morris' pieces of advice: Don't confuse loyalty with complacency. She explains that she likes to "shake up my production or co-writing comfort by working with new people who bring things out of me I wouldn't normally in a more comfortable creative situation."

In the end, "Find people that listen to you," Morris concludes, "but also push you and your creativity to new areas of yourself." There's no place better to do exactly that than at GRAMMY Camp, where the mentee can one day become the mentor and guide the next generation of artists and music industry professionals.

The 20th annual GRAMMY Camp celebration is running now and concludes with the GRAMMY Camp Finale Student Showcase on Saturday, July 20, at the Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum

Applications for GRAMMY Camp 2025 will be available online in September.

Learn more about GRAMMY Camp.

Explore GRAMMY Camp And The GRAMMY Museum

2024 New Member Class
2024 New Member Class

Graphic: Courtesy of the Recording Academy

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2024 New Member Class: Music Creators & Industry Professionals React To Their Membership Invites On Social Media: “This Is Huge For Me And My People!”

The newly invited members took to social media to share their reactions to being invited to join the Recording Academy. The 2024 New Member Class invitees embody the Academy's dedication to mirroring the diverse and dynamic music industry landscape.

Recording Academy/Jun 28, 2024 - 10:50 pm

The Recording Academy, the organization behind the annual GRAMMY Awards, has proudly extended membership invitations to more than 3,900 music creators and industry professionals this week to join its 2024 New Member Class. 

The 2024 New Member Class, which exemplifies the Academy's commitment to reflecting today's diverse and dynamic music industry landscape, represents a significant step towards inclusivity and representation within the music industry. This year's 2024 class of invitees is 45% women, 57% people of color and 47% under the age of 40. With these new member invitees, the Recording Academy is on track to achieve its goal of adding 2,500 women Voting Members by 2025, reaching this milestone a year ahead of schedule. 

The deadline for accepting these invitations, and thus engaging in the full process for the 2025 GRAMMYs, is Wednesday, July 31. 2024 New Member Class invitees are encouraged to join our newly launched New Member Class broadcast channel to learn more about the Recording Academy and membership-related updates.

These invitations offer each potential new member an opportunity to power the Recording Academy's mission of cultivating the well-being of the music community, celebrating artistic excellence in the recording arts, advocating for creators' rights, investing in music's future through the GRAMMY Museum, and supporting music people in times of need through MusiCares.

The Recording Academy's membership invitation process is community-driven and peer-reviewed annually, focusing on two types of membership: Voting Membership for music creators and Professional Membership for music business professionals. Interested musicians and professionals must apply for membership by March 1 each year, and if approved by a peer review panel, they are invited to join the Recording Academy. (GRAMMY U is the third type of Academy membership and follows a distinct application process.)

To celebrate this milestone, many of the newly invited members have taken to social media to express their excitement and gratitude. Here are some highlights:

For more information about the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season, learn more about the annual GRAMMY Awards process, read our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, view the official GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines, and visit the GRAMMY Award Update Center for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

Recording Academy: Latest News & Updates

Aluna, Bryant Von Woodson II, Ryan Butler and Tiffany Briggs Low
(L-R) Aluna, Bryant Von Woodson II, Ryan Butler and Tiffany Briggs Low

(L-R) Aluna, Bryant Von Woodson II, Ryan Butler and Tiffany Briggs-Low speak onstage during the Power in PRIDE event

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The Power In Pride: A Conversation Honoring The Resilience Of Black Queer Creatives With A Candid, Intersectional Discussion For Pride Month

At New York's Live Nation office, the Recording Academy's Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Ryan Butler, sat down with Queer Capita's Bryant K. Von Woodson II and DJ/musician Aluna for a nuanced Pride Month conversation.

Recording Academy/Jun 28, 2024 - 04:22 pm

"Everything you like was created by a queer person," musician and DJ Aluna proclaimed near the end of "The Power In Pride: A Conversation Honoring The Resilience Of Black Queer Creatives." (A seemingly bold statement — until you do some digging.)

Ditto a Black person. As the Recording Academy's VP of DEI, Ryan Butler, pointed out, just about every American music genre flows back to that source. "There is no pop music in America that is not a derivative of the Negro spiritual," he said across from Aluna.

"The queerness has been the innovation in it, but the Black community has been the foundation of it," Butler concluded. "So, I think when you have the foundation and the innovation together, it's worth celebrating 365 days a year."

When considering those two truths, two more truths emerge. First, without the contributions of Black and queer people, our world — including our musical landscape — would be unrecognizable. Second, to celebrate only in February, for Black History Month — or June, for Pride Month and Black Music Month — would be a grave disservice to both wellsprings of genius. Honoring Black and queer creators, as Butler pointed out, requires the entire calendar year. 

These themes were paramount at "The Power of Pride," a candid conversation at the Live Nation building in Manhattan, just as summer kicked off. Tiffany Briggs Low, the Director of Corporate and Communications at Live Nation, moderated the discussion between Butler, Aluna, and third panelist Bryant K. Von Woodson II, VIP Relations at Chapter 2 Agency and Head of Communications at Queer Capita. Von Woodson II introduced himself as a "curator of people" who connects BIPOC folks with crucial opportunities; Butler, as an "angelic disruptor"; Briggs-Low called Aluna "our sister in green" and "the curator of the vibes."

Briggs-Low kicked off the conversation with a heavy, dual prompt: "I would love to hear about why you feel it's important for the world to continue celebrating both Pride and Black Music Month, and what does the intersectionality of Black and queer identities mean to each of you?"

"I think that theme months each year do serve as a reset," Aluna stated, "and have you looking internally, and looking at what you've done and haven't done, and how you feel. To me, the queer community and the Black community have given so much," she continued, "and my mission is for us to just turn that around — to be giving it back to ourselves. Because there is an abundance of things that we create — and we never stop creating — but we need to be fed, and the well is running dry. And that upsets me."

To Aluna — who is Black, straight, and an ally of the Black queer community — this nourishment comes from "creat[ing] space" within these communities, and fostering "spirituality and deep, deep connection."

To that question, Von Woodson II — who is Black and queer — paraphrased Maya Angelou: "Between both communities, I stand as one, but I also really acknowledge the 10,000," he said referring to the philosophy from Angelou's work that credits the collective experiences of communities and ancestors who came before. 

"I think that's what this month is about," he continued. "Celebrating the 10,000 that got me to be able to sit on this stage, to have this conversation with you, to sit up here with some beautiful Black people, and really speak about our lives and ourselves."

Butler, who is also Black and queer, calls that intersection "a superpower." Yet the world doesn't always treat it as such — to put it lightly. As Butler related, just last weekend, he entered a function in Malibu, where the host said, "I'm going to sit you at the table where all the rappers like to sit."

"I don't really give rapper," Butler mused dryly. "You shouldn't be profiled in that type of way, and I definitely experience it in the corporate environment, still. I don't think that it always feels like a safe space.

"But that's also a litmus test for me," he added. "I know that there are other [people] who may feel this way, and so it also helps me make sure that I'm constantly applying pressure."

Von Woodson II expounded on the importance of being his authentic self, in spaces that might stifle that. "There is no hiding that I am clearly Black, but also queer," he said, before showing off his proudly flamboyant style of walking into a room.

"As I work with my clients, and I work with new people, I think I show up as authentic as I can," he continued. "And I just lay it on them and say, 'You either take it or you don't.'"

Aluna, for her part, highlighted the unfairness of Black artists being pigeonholed as featured artists.

"If I need to be an example of what's possible for the next generation, they can't just see me as Disclosure featuring Aluna, DJ Snake featuring Aluna, Avicii featuring Aluna, because that gives the message that that's all we're worth," she said. "You can't get booked as an artist in your own right, because they just don't see you as an artist.

"Managers across the board, bookers, labels — they're just hankering after your essence, your soul," Aluna continued. "But without your Blackness."

In supporting Black and queer communities — which takes a plethora of forms, for all different kinds of people — Butler warned against performative gestures. Aluna decried "the colonial separation between Blackness and queerness."

And Butler left the audience with a truth bomb: "There are going to be times where you are going to have to shield me with your privilege that I don't have."

But for all these heavier-than-heavy topics of identity, justice and belonging, "The Power In Pride" felt celebratory and familial. As the conversation wound down, the beats were turned up, and the audience was geared to get out and uphold Black and queer genius and solidarity — 365 days a year.

The Recording Academy thanks its partners — Live Nation and Queer Capita — for their efforts to make this event possible.

Latest Recording Academy News & Initiatives

Recording Academy Global Expansion graphic

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How The Recording Academy's Global Expansion Will Support Music Creators And Develop Creative Economies On A Worldwide Scale

As the Recording Academy expands to Africa and the Middle East, the organization is building a framework aimed at protecting music creators and fueling music economies around the world. Here, Academy leaders and partners lay out the global vision.

Recording Academy/Jun 27, 2024 - 03:44 pm

Over the past two years, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and President Panos A. Panay have journeyed across the world in service of the organization and the global music community. What came of those trips has been personally moving and profoundly monumental for both Mason jr. and Panay. It's also further expanded the vision of the Academy's global mission.

"For us as an Academy, we always want to be aware of the trends — what's happening now and what's coming next — so we can stay plugged into today's music scene and global music community and continue to honor the music that's being made around the world," Mason jr. reflected about his recent travels to Africa in an interview with the Recording Academy last year.

Now, that global mission has finally come to fruition: The Recording Academy recently announced plans for its global expansion into Africa and the Middle East, a development that perfectly aligns with the music industry's ongoing globalization. With new music communities and industries developing around the world, including the thriving music industry growing across the Middle East and North Africa, a region commonly known as MENA, the Academy's expansion into this region was a natural development.

"The world is becoming a lot more globalized. Our job as an Academy is to expand our mission to include all creators irrespective of where they live or what passport they have or what language they speak," Panay explained in a recent interview. "The Middle East and Africa are two of the fastest-growing regions, demographically, when it comes to younger populations, when it comes to creative output, and when it comes to industry growth. This expansion into the MENA region is a natural fit simply for the fact that music is now a truly globalized art form that is not limited by language or culture."

"Music knows no borders. It's global and transcends cultural, political and language barriers," 12-time GRAMMY winner John Legend said in a statement about the Recording Academy's expansion. "I'm so glad that the Recording Academy, the leading organization serving music creators, is evolving to be a more global organization."

"As an African musician, I'm excited about the Recording Academy's expansion into Africa and the Middle East," Afrobeats pioneer Davido echoed the sentiment in a statement. "It acknowledges our vibrant talent and the global influence of African music. This initiative offers a platform for creators, elevating our cultural expressions and uniting us through music." 

The Recording Academy's global expansion builds on several of the organization's recent international initiatives and rich history with the music of both the Middle East and Africa. At the 2024 GRAMMYs in February, the Recording Academy introduced the inaugural Best African Music Performance GRAMMY category, which recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. One year prior, at the 2023 GRAMMYs, the Recording Academy awarded the inaugural Best Song For Social Change Special Merit Award to Iranian singer/songwriter Shervin Hajipour for "Baraye," a widespread protest anthem in Iran. 

Last year, the Latin Recording Academy hosted the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs in Seville, Spain, marking the first-ever international GRAMMY Awards show. "It is our responsibility as an Academy to really support our artists and our creators in their quest to go global," Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud said, in an interview in 2023, about the global expansion of the Latin GRAMMYs. 

Similarly, the Recording Academy is now establishing local roots in Africa and the Middle East to help develop regional music industries and support music creators on a global scale.

"We are spending the next few years working directly with our local partners and stakeholders to better understand the needs of each of these creative scenes and establish the Recording Academy's role in serving these regions in a long-term strategy," Panay said. "Our plan is to use these collaborations as a platform to create connectivity and community. We strongly believe the Academy's mission and membership can ultimately have an impactful role in the development of these global industries."

The global expansion will benefit current and future Recording Academy members, too, Panay said. 

"As the creative community, including our Recording Academy membership, is seeing its income streams come under pressure, expanding opportunities for our existing membership is imperative for the organization," he said. "The expansion is informed by both the Academy's mission to go global, but also by the commitment to serving our existing membership at the highest possible level. That's what's informing every step that we've taken over the last two years in these explorations as well as the last 50 years as we've built the organization to think and act more globally." 

Both Panay and Recording Academy CEO Mason jr. took a direct, hands-on approach to establish the Academy's footprint across the Middle East and Africa. They met with governmental ministries, cultural leaders and music creators across both regions, participating in listening sessions and high-level briefings.

For Panay, it is essential for the Recording Academy to learn about the local cultures on an intimate level and cater the Academy's strategy to the regions' specific needs.

"I was once told a great expression: 'If you don't go, you don't know,'" Panay reflected. "Ultimately, for us to better serve those creative communities, the Academy's strategy has to involve us spending time in these regions, which is what we are committed to keep doing over the next few years as we develop our specific plans and implementations for each market." 

To accomplish this, the Recording Academy is working closely with Ministries of Cultures and key stakeholders to build a framework that will bolster the Academy's presence and services in these rapidly growing music regions. The strategy also posits music at the nexus of art, commerce and diplomacy: These partnerships are aimed at driving economic growth, cultural exchange and sociopolitical ties between the partner nations.

"Creatives offer a formidable platform for building cultural, social, economic, and political ties across the East African Community, the African Continent and indeed the entire African Diaspora globally," Kenya's Hon. Ababu Namwamba, EGH said in a statement about the partnership with the Recording Academy. "This is a historic opportunity to hoist high and celebrate Africanacity through artistic and cultural expression, while fostering innovation, creativity, fraternity, and solidarity for African peoples in Africa and beyond."  

Read More: The Recording Academy Partners With U.S. Secretary Of State Antony J. Blinken To Launch The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative; Quincy Jones Awarded Inaugural Peace Through Music Award 

As part of its multifaceted global expansion, the Recording Academy is exploring several key initiatives focused on supporting and protecting music creators around the world, with an emphasis on advocacy, cross-cultural learnings, and economic growth, among many other measures. These initial priorities — informed by the local creative communities, music industry leaders and government officials — are the direct result of the Academy's on-the-ground learnings and exchanges over the past two years. 

"We took what we learned from our meetings with the local creatives and industry players and envisioned how and where the Recording Academy could be the most helpful in developing a sustainable ecosystem," Panay explained. "Sometimes, people don't recognize or understand how policies that are shared between states or countries accelerate the growth of an industry and help creators generate income. We think the Academy can play a role in all this with the help of our partners in these local governments and industries."

Education remains one of the key pillars of the Recording Academy's global expansion. Already, the Academy has made immense progress in this area via the recently launched GRAMMY GO, the Recording Academy's first-ever creator-to-creator platform and online learning experience. With GRAMMY GO, the Academy uses the collective knowledge base of its membership to spread industry expertise and help music creators enhance their careers. GRAMMY GO now serves as a bridge connecting the Academy and its members with local scenes around the globe.

"The programs we're already developing with GRAMMY GO are meant to begin introducing the Academy's prospects, abilities, and collective knowledge of its membership to these new regions," Panay said. "We see GRAMMY GO as the tip of our mission expansion into these areas because you got to lead first and foremost with education and skill development. These are critical to the development of creators and the growth of industries, and we think we can help accelerate that."

In the future, the Academy plans to offer enhanced training opportunities and educational programs specifically tailored to the needs of music creators in these regions and users worldwide.

Learn More: How The Recording Academy's GRAMMY GO Is Building A Global Online Learning Community & Elevating The Creative Class 

As the Recording Academy sets its plans for global expansion into motion, the organization is keeping creators from all over at the forefront — exactly as it's done over the decades. 

With additional reporting by Morgan Enos. 

Stay Connected To The Recording Academy With The My Academy Hub App: Access Key Deadlines, View Membership Information, Browse Official Academy Events & More 

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