The entertainment business has made efforts to be more progressive, and today it is being reported that the Recording Academy is implementing a new process to encourage and ensure further diversity. Pitchfork confirms that for the first time in Grammy history, the 2022 ceremony will feature an inclusion rider, created in partnership with Color Of Change. The details of the rider are set to be unveiled publicly on September 16th.
In an official statement, the Recording Academy expressed its motivation behind implementing an inclusion rider for the upcoming Grammy Awards, which still faces its share of race-related controversy to this day. According to the statement, the rider will ensure that producers “recruit, audition, interview, and hire on-stage and off-stage people who have been historically and systematically excluded from the industry.”
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“We’re honored to work alongside Color of Change and the Inclusion Rider’s esteemed co-authors as we take this monumental step to ensure equitable industry standards that support a more diverse and inclusive music community,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason. “As the Academy continues its transformational journey, diversifying our industry is at the core of every decision we make. We’re dedicated to fostering an environment of inclusion industry-wide and hope that our efforts set an example for our peers in the music community.”
It will be interesting to see the details of the first Grammy Award inclusion rider; we will be sure to keep you updated on that front. You may recall the term “inclusion rider” being used by Academy Award winner Frances McDormand during her Best Actress victory speech in 2018. Her words ultimately drew attention from the masses, and the conversation soon shifted to the impact inclusion riders have on production at large.
“As the Academy continues its transformational journey, diversifying our industry is at the core of every decision we make,” adds Mason. “We’re dedicated to fostering an environment of inclusion industry-wide and hope that our efforts set an example for our peers in the music community.”
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