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Reggae remains one of the least-represented genres within the Recording Academy, even as the organization welcomed over 3,800 new members in one of its most diverse intake periods to date. The expansion, driven largely by an influx of members from the Latin Recording Academy, reflects the global rise of Latin music and its increasing dominance across streaming and industry recognition.
For the first time, invitations were extended to all voting members of the Latin Recording Academy, strengthening ties between the GRAMMYs and Latin GRAMMYs. The move significantly shifted the Academy’s cultural landscape — with Latin now leading all genres when new voting members were asked which category best represents their work.
According to the Academy, 13% of new voting members identified Latin as their primary genre — ahead of pop and “other” (8% each), and far surpassing categories like alternative, global music, and rock (3% each). Jazz, R&B, and classical trailed at 2%, while dance/electronic, gospel, rap, reggae, country, and others each represented 1% or less.
In an exclusive 2022 interview with World Music Views, Harvey Mason Jr. said he wants to see more reggae and dancehall music makers become part of the GRAMMY organization — a move he believes would directly improve representation, nominations, and fairness in the awards process.
“We haven’t done a good enough job to go into genres and bring people in, so to me I would like to see more reggae-dancehall music makers and creators being a part of our organization. That would have a direct impact and correlate exactly to what nominations were made and who would ultimately win.”
He added that more representation from people within the genre would make the voting process more informed and authentic.
“If I don’t know reggae extremely well, I would look for a name I recognize. If I work in reggae and I’m around dancehall music, I’m going to be more educated about that genre of music.”
Mason, who became the first Black man to lead the Recording Academy in 2019, says his mission is to make the organization more global, inclusive, and representative of the diverse artists shaping today’s music. He emphasized that the Academy is moving away from its old approach of waiting for artists to apply, and is now actively reaching out to communities like reggae and dancehall to invite them to join.
“The Academy needs to ensure that there are people from each genre involved in membership,” he said. “We need to ensure we are talking to the dancehall and reggae community, inviting them to be a part of our community, and making our voting membership more reflective of the genre.”
Mason also dismissed claims that the Reggae Grammy category is under threat, confirming that submissions remain strong — with nearly 700 reggae entries over the past five years. He said the category’s survival depends on continued engagement from artists and industry stakeholders, not on arbitrary decisions from the Academy.
“We’ve had really good submissions in the reggae category,” he said. “We don’t arbitrarily decide which categories to remove — it’s all based on submissions.”
Looking ahead, Mason says it’s possible for a separate Dancehall category to be created — but only if the community formally submits a proposal through the Academy’s voting process.
“If the dancehall community wanted its own category and they felt strongly about it, they can submit it with the right rationale and support — and it could happen,” he said.
Mason concluded by reaffirming the Academy’s commitment to inclusivity:
“We want more people from more genres, from more regions, and to make sure we are honoring them properly.”
This influx of Latin members also influenced the Academy’s overall demographic composition, with 28% of all new members identifying as Hispanic or Latin — nearly matching those who identify as white or Caucasian (31%). They were followed by Black or African American (20%), “I prefer not to disclose” (11%), Asian or Pacific Islander (5%), “I prefer to self-describe” (3%), Middle Eastern or Northern African and South Asian (1% each), and Indigenous or Alaska Native (less than 1%).
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the expansion is part of an ongoing effort to make the GRAMMYs “a more accurate reflection of the global music community.” The Academy has been actively reforming its membership processes since 2019, with initiatives focused on genre inclusion, international growth, and equitable representation.
As Latin music continues to dominate streaming charts and global airwaves, the Academy’s new composition signals a more inclusive future for awards and recognition — one that mirrors the industry’s undeniable shift toward global sounds and diverse creators.
English (US) ·