Recording Academy Expands into Africa and the Middle East
In a press release today, The Recording Academy®, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards®, made a major announcement that it will be expanding into Africa and the Middle East. They have spend a significant amount of time building partnerships with key culture stakeholders around the world and identified the value of expansion into these regions.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, expressed his enthusiasm for this global outreach, stating, “This is exciting because music is one of humanity’s greatest natural resources. It is critical that the people who dedicate themselves to creating music have support, resources and opportunities, no matter where they are from.” Angelique Kidjo shared her pride in the Academy’s efforts: “Africa is ready with open arms… We are a continent of music and young, passionate music makers.”
Over the past two years, the Academy’s leadership has actively engaged with these regions, participating in listening sessions, receiving high-level briefings, and gaining insights directly from governmental ministries and innovative music creators.
The Recording 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. Additionally, memorandums of understanding (MOUs) have been signed with Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
In Kenya, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, EGH, emphasized the importance of the creative economy in Kenya’s development saying, “Creative Economy is among the key cogs in the wheel driving the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) in Kenya. With a predominantly youthful population that is well educated, innovative and passionate… Kenya considers the creative sector as a fitting ignition for lighting and unleashing the full potential of this enormous youth bulge.”
While the President of Afrexim Bank, Dr. Benedict Okey Oramah, recognized the economic potential of this music expansion. “With Afreximbank’s support for Africa’s creative industries… this sector has to boost GDP and create employment for the youth.”
The Academy has high hopes for this new partnership and has outlined what they aim to do:
- Champion music creators at all levels by providing a platform and advocacy.
- Empower creators through training via the GRAMMY GO™ online learning platform, offering tailored educational programs and resources.
- Produce original content that celebrates the rich musical heritage and the emerging music scenes of Africa and the Middle East.
- Enhance support for existing members, facilitating cross-cultural learning and benefits.
- Advocate for Intellectual Property (IP) legislation and protections for music creators.
- Build on the current music economy by collaborating with partners to strengthen the creative economy in these regions.
The Academy will also publish a series of reports to share its research and insights into these music markets. Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy, spoke about the significance of this expansion, “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.”
This initiative marks the beginning of the Academy’s international support plans and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards®, further emphasizing the Academy’s dedication to global music collaboration. Multiple Grammy-winning artist John Legend commented on this new global venture saying, “I’m excited to see the Recording Academy taking these meaningful steps to globalize our mission and reach. Music knows no borders.”
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. It honors music’s history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards.
For more information, visit GRAMMY.com and RecordingAcademy.com.
