In 2023, the Recording Academy admitted over 2,400 new members, with six percent of them (at least 144 individuals) having ties to Reggae music, a figure consistent with the 2022 statistics. Reggae, however, ranks higher than only Children’s Music (5%), Spoken Word (5%), and Comedy (1%) in terms of voting representation among the 22 genres tracked. The dominant genres among new members include Pop (41%), followed by R&B (29%), Rock (23%), and Rap (22%).
The report also reveals that songwriters/composers constitute a significant portion of the new members at 64%, while other creative disciplines represented include vocalists (47%), producers (43%), instrumentalists (38%), and engineers (21%). Additionally, the report mentions the inclusion of arrangers, music videographers, supervisors, conductors, and spoken word artists among the new members.
The Best Reggae Album category at the upcoming 66th annual Grammy Awards will feature four Jamaican nominees—Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Burning Spear, and Julian Marley—alongside American-born Bermudian Collie Budz. The report highlights earlier encouragement from industry professionals, including Len Brown, for Jamaican musicians to join the Recording Academy, particularly after the introduction of new categories like Best African Music Performance for the 2024 GRAMMYs.
The article emphasizes the significance of participation in the Academy for proposing new categories or influencing changes. Advocates stress that the representation of Jamaican music professionals in the Academy is crucial for the fair evaluation of Reggae music at the Grammys. The final round of voting for the 2024 Grammy Awards is scheduled to take place from December 14 to January 4, 2024.