Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Grammy Awards, has shared insights on the nomination process and how to win a GRAMMY with Ghanaian artists during a private dinner meeting.
According to the Grammy CEO, the only way for artists to win a GRAMMY is for the Academy’s membership to vote for their songs.
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“In order to win a GRAMMY, first, you’ve got to be part of the Academy and then the membership of the Academy will vote for you.
“If you are a member of the Academy, you’ve got to be a professional in the United States, for now, the United States,”he disclosed.
He also noted that once an artiste makes music and lives in the US, he can now submit his works to the GRAMMY Academy board which is made up of different artists.
When the submission is finished, he referenced that these artists assess their companions and get to pick whose music they like better.
“Right now, if you are a working professional in the United States, you become a member of the Recording Academy, once you are a member of the Recording Academy, all the music is submitted, the members listen to it and you are evaluated on the quality of the art.
“Not the sales, not the streams, not the how many fans, not the how many followers but purely on the opinion, and it’s very hard. As you all know because it’s subjective,” he added.
He, moreover, expressed that artists needn’t bother to be with a recording label or have a huge fanbase, simply their unadulterated ability is sufficient to win them an award with the GRAMMY.
“So Best Song, Best Record, just the opinion of the membership in that particular year, and that’s how you win a GRAMMY.
“That’s it, the vote is the vote. There’s no committee, there are no journalists, no labels, just music professionals voting for their peers. Period,” he noted.
Many artists attended the dinner, including Efya, Sarkodie, Tems, Edem, and MOG Music.
Harvey Mason, the Grammy Awards’ Chief Executive Officer, arrived in Ghana on Monday, September 25, 2022.
Mr. Mason’s visit will include not only meetings with industry players such as artists, producers, and promoters but also an assessment of the Ghanaian music scene.