Ozunahas received a special invitation…
The 28-year-old Puerto Rican reggaetonand Latin trap singer is among the 2,321 people who’ve been invited to join the Recording Academy.
This year’s “freshman class,” as the academy calls it, is 48% female (compared to 49% in last year’s freshman class invites), 21% African American/African descent (compared to 26%), 8% Hispanic (compared to 7%), 3% Asian American/Pacific Islander/Asian (same as last year) and 51% people who are age 39 or younger (same as last year).
Some of those invited didn’t disclose their demographic details. On gender, 3% did not disclose. On ethnicity, 13% didn’t disclose. On age, a whopping 25% didn’t disclose.
Women account for 26% of the academy’s overall membership, not just the freshman class (same as last year). People from traditionally-underrepresented communities account for 25%, up a point from last year’s 24%. People who are age 39 or younger account for 25%, down from 29% last year.
According to the academy, 79% of this year’s freshman class is being invited as potential voting members, the other 21% as (non-voting) professional members.
Laura Segura, the executive director of MusiCares, said last year that it’ll become harder and harder for the Recording
Academy to find qualified new members to invite unless the music industry extends more opportunities to women and people of color.
“We will face challenges with future new member classes if not enough women and people of color are being hired, mentored and have access to opportunities to lead and excel,” she said.
The Academy also created a 90-minute video, “Your Academy: Welcoming the 2020 New Member Class,” in which both current members, like John Legend and Yolanda Adams, and 2020 invitees, including Ozuna, discuss membership.
The discussion, held on Zoom on June 24, was moderated by Justin Joseph, Grammy.com editor-in-chief. The roundtable debuted today on GRAMMY.com.
In order to participate in the process for the upcoming Grammy Awards, prospective new members have to accept their invitations by September 15.
The 63rd Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on January 31, 2021, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
More information on the Recording Academy’s membership process and requirements can be found here. Full details surrounding the new class can be found here.