The Recording Academy is making movies to establish agreements with Ministries of Culture and key stakeholders across the Middle East and Africa to enhance its presence and services in these regions.
“This is exciting because music is one of humanity’s greatest natural resources,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said on Tuesday 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 follows Harvey Mason Jr’s 2022 interview with WMV when he said the Academy was looking to stage the awards show outside of the US and possibly to Jamaica. “I think we would consider that, there is a lot of opportunities, borders are coming down. With music you are seeing people come together and people from all different parts of the world loving other genres.”
In the press release on Tuesday, the Academy disclosed that it has been collaborating with regional leaders over the past two years. These efforts have included listening sessions, high-level briefings, tours, demonstrations, and direct interactions with governmental ministries and music creators to understand and support innovation in these markets.
Among the Academy’s objectives for this expansion are empowering creators through enhanced training via its learning platform “GRAMMY GO,” and offering educational programs and resources tailored to the needs of music creators in these regions. Additionally, the Academy plans to produce original content celebrating the rich musical heritage and dynamic emerging scenes of Africa and the Middle East.
“The Academy is collaborating with the Ministries of Culture in Kenya, the 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,” the announcement stated. Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) have also been signed with Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
The Academy intends to publish a series of reports detailing its research and insights into these music markets.
“The Recording Academy is dedicated to supporting music creators around the world,” said Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy. “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.”
