Recording Academy holds dialogue with Asian music community over new Grammy category

The Recording Academy has held discussions with members of the Asian music community about the Grammy Awards' new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category, with some artists expressing concerns that the category does not adequately represent their music. In a statement issued Aug. 14, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the organization had spoken with various stakeholders over the past two weeks, including artists and representatives from the K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and Indian music communities. "The Grammy organization exists to serve all music people, and part of that is working to ensure that no voice or community gets overlooked or misunderstood," Mason said. "It’s clear from our numerous conversations with many stakeholders over the past two weeks that, regardless of our intent and desire to be even more inclusive, there are some artists in this space who feel that this category isn’t representing the music they work so hard to create, in the way they wish. As a musician myself, I take that to heart," he added. Mason said the Recording Academy and its board are focused on working with the Asian music community as the organization moves forward. "We are focused on working together to keep pace with that progress and ensure the musicians we intend to honor feel truly seen and heard by our actions," he said. According to Billboard, the discussions involved musicians, labels, managers and representatives from HYBE, the South Korean entertainment company behind K-pop superstars BTS. The Recording Academy is also convening its Board and Awards & Nominations Committee to work with members of the Asian music community and seek their input on the new category. The move comes after BTS announced that the group would not submit entries for this year's Grammy Awards. On July 29, the seven BTS members shared their decision...