Recording Academy Details Global Expansion Efforts in Africa and the Middle East

The Recording Academy is extending its efforts to support music creators on a global scale. The Academy has agreements with Ministries of Culture and key stakeholders across the Middle East and Africa to collaborate on a framework to bolster the Academy’s presence and services in these rapidly growing music regions, the organization announced Tuesday (June 11).

“This is exciting because music is one of humanity’s greatest natural resources,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “It is critical that the people who dedicate themselves to creating music have support, resources and opportunities, no matter where they are from.”

This global expansion marks a significant shift from the Recording Academy’s original charter. The organization was founded in 1957 as the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

The Academy is working with the Ministries of Culture in Kenya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Nigeria, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture in South Africa. Additionally, MOUs (memoranda of understanding) have been signed with Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

For the past two years, Academy leaders have traveled throughout these regions, participating in listening sessions, receiving high-level briefings, tours and demonstrations, and obtaining insight directly from both governmental ministries and music creators.

The Academy intends to publish a series of reports highlighting its research and insights into these music markets.

“The Recording Academy is dedicated to supporting music creators around the world,” Panos A. Panay, Recording Academy president, said in a statement. “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.”

(Panay was born Panayiotis Andreas Panayiotou in Cyprus, which may be a further sign of the Academy’s increasing global reach. Before joining the Academy, Panay was senior vp of global strategy & innovation at Berklee College of Music.)

The Academy characterizes this exploration into the Middle East and Africa as only the first phase of plans to support music creators abroad. It comes in the same year that the Academy celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammy Awards, and seven months after the Latin Grammys were held outside of the United States (in Seville, Spain) for the first time. Last year, the Recording Academy also partnered with the U.S. State Department on an initiative to promote peace through music.

Through these newly-announced collaborations, the Academy looks to explore several key initiatives, including:

The Recording Academy supplied quotes from four of its members:

John Legend, a 12-time Grammy winner and a former trustee of the Recording Academy, said: “I’m excited to see the Recording Academy taking these meaningful steps to globalize our mission and reach.  Music knows no borders. It’s global and transcends cultural, political and language barriers. I’m so glad that the Recording Academy, the leading organization serving music creators, is evolving to be a more global organization.”

Angélique Kidjo, a five-time Grammy winner and a current trustee of the Recording Academy, said: “The Recording Academy is accelerating its efforts to serve music people everywhere, and Africa is ready with open arms. We are a continent of music and young, passionate music makers. I’m proud to see the Academy forming partnerships with Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and no doubt, more to come!”

Davido, a three-time Grammy nominee, said: “As an African musician, I’m excited about the Recording Academy’s expansion into Africa and the Middle East. 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.”

Kat Graham, actress/singer (The Vampire Diaries, the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael) and a former trustee of the Recording Academy, said: “As a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, I’ve seen firsthand how interconnected our world is. I applaud the Recording Academy for expanding its activities to Africa and the Middle East, two of the fastest-growing regions. This visionary move will amplify the role music can play as a force for good in the world while showcasing diverse voices and fostering cultural unity on a global scale.”

Mason discussed the change in an email sent on Tuesday (June 11) to Recording Academy members. It read, in full:

“Dear Recording Academy family,
 
Throughout our 65 years, the Recording Academy has lifted up the music community not only by shining our bright spotlight on excellence, but through acts of advocacy, education, and direct assistance to music people in need. In doing so, we have constantly evolved to meet the changing needs of the music creators we serve. Thirty years ago, we launched MusiCares, and after that, the Latin Grammys and the Grammy Museum. Four years ago, we set out to accomplish the overdue work of making the Academy more representative of the diverse music community we represent. In each of these instances, we succeeded, becoming a stronger organization, and better equipped to fulfill our purpose and carry out our mission. 
 
Now we are transforming again, this time on a global scale. The barriers that once kept music predominantly, or exclusively, confined to its local market have been removed, and a true global music ecosystem is emerging. We’ve seen a massive wave of K-Pop. Latin music has exploded. Afrobeats is quickly becoming part of the new sound of pop music. The Middle East and Africa are the fastest growing music markets in the world. It’s an exciting time of creativity from all around the globe.
 
Over the past two years, as The Hollywood Reporter recently detailed, the Recording Academy has been evolving on multiple fronts to globalize our mission: enacting changes to the Grammy telecast and Awards, pursuing new initiatives with our members and entering innovative partnerships with entities like the United Nations and the U.S. State Department.  
 
Today we are embarking on a path to extend our efforts to support music creators on a global scale. For some time now, we have been traveling to Africa and the Middle East, participating in listening sessions, engaging in conversations with music creators, industry officials, Ministers of Culture, and heads of state. 
 
In our travels, we have found widespread support for an Academy presence in these two regions. In fact, we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and welcoming spirit we’ve encountered. We now have agreements with Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and expect that list to expand further in the near future.
 
Over the next 12 months, in conjunction with governments, business leaders and the local music communities, we will evaluate whether a formal Academy presence makes sense, and what it might look like. At the same time, we will study what an Academy presence in these parts of the world could do for our existing members, and all US-based music creators, like being able to more strongly advocate for royalties and intellectual property protections. 
 
We understand that we are kicking this off in a time of tumult, deep division, and tragically, violence and war. But when you believe in music’s inherent powers, as we do, it’s an affirmation of music’s enormous impact to conclude that perhaps there’s no better time than right now to support its growth. And as is the case here in the United States, our presence in these countries should not be considered an endorsement of government policies, but rather, an opportunity to foster musical expression, and the advancement of humanity.
 
Like all evolutions, this one is iterative. Today’s announcement is not the beginning of our journey, and nor is it the end. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be making more changes, trying new things, taking more actions.

As the music marketplace transforms, we will continue to change the way we serve and advocate for our existing members, and at the same time, look to serve music creators everywhere whose art is waiting to meet—and move—the world. 
 
In service,
Harvey”