Grammy creates category for African music

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Measure will recognize genres such as Afrobeat, High Life, Bongo Flava, Ghanaian Drill and Ethio Jazz. Angélique Kidjo on the 2015 Grammys red carpet Mike Blake/Reuters The 2024 Grammys will feature new categories, including the award for best African music performance, the Recording Academy announced on Tuesday (13). In addition to awarding a recording that uses “unique local expressions from across the African continent”, the 66th edition of the biggest world music awards will award trophies to the best alternative jazz album and the best pop dance recording. Two existing categories, Non-Classical Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, will now be chosen by all voters, rather than a select genre-specific group. These changes come after several years of revamping the Grammy categories as the Academy tries to mitigate criticism that its selections are not inclusive and do not reflect the evolution of the music industry. Last year, the organization awarded the best video game soundtrack and created the long-awaited composer of the year award, open to composers who are not necessarily performers or producers. In 2020, the Los Angeles-based institution changed the name of several categories, such as controversial urban contemporary music, which turned progressive R&B. The new award that will recognize African music recordings spans multiple genres, according to the Academy, including but not limited to Afrobeat, High Life, Bongo Flava, Ghanaian Drill and Ethio Jazz. Songs by African artists have long dominated global music categories, with the likes of Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy regularly appearing. The new category seems to be a bet to give greater recognition to the impact of African music on international trends. Burna Boy Disclosure “These changes reflect our commitment to actively listening and responding to feedback from our music community, accurately representing a wide range of relevant music genres, and staying aligned with the ever-evolving music landscape,” said Harvey Mason Jr., director of the Recording Academy, in a statement. Songs released between October 1, 2022 and September 15, 2023 may be nominated in the 2024 edition. Grammy: Academy makes changes to ‘increase diversity’

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