Navio & GNL have been announced as the latest stars to join the prestigious Grammy Recording Academy as voting members.
In an effort to bring diversity, Grammy Recording Academy has included several new other categories and new members who will help in selecting music voted in the new genres.
According to its Vice President, Membership and Industry Relations, Kelley Purcell:
“The new members symbolize the future of the academy. And represent the direction we are headed in as an organization and the music community at large.
Among these are two Ugandan hip-hop maestros Daniel Kigozi Lubwama who is popularly known as Navio and Ernest Nsimbi alias GNL Zamba alongside his wife Miriam Tamar.
The very elated Navio took to social media to share the thrilling news with their fans writing:
“And Guess what fam! We are in for the Recording Academy / GRAMMYs 2023 New Member Class. As new members of the Recording Academy, creators and professionals join a roster of their peers dedicated to serving, celebrating, representing, and advocating for music year-round.”
In a similar vein, GNL Zamba posted:
This prestigious role grants Navio, GNL, and Tamar the privilege and responsibility of actively engaging in the esteemed 66-part Grammy Awards process. Right from carefully reviewing submissions, and casting votes to exert their influence in the selection of nominees and winners across a wide range of award categories.
By welcoming these acts as voting members, the Recording Academy acknowledges their individual significant contributions to the global music landscape.
The Recording Academy is a music organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its makers.
The Grammys voting academy is a culturally diverse group of select music connoisseurs, and inductees must pass a rigorous top-tier international screening by a college of judges tasked with inducting new voting members. Members, who are selected, will get to champion the causes dear to their hearts, and that of other stakeholders in the music industry. Additionally, they’ll also get to suggest changes to the rules of the academy.
The Academy reports that of the invitees who accepted their membership invitations last year, 32% of them were female and 52% of them were male, with 44% of them coming from traditionally underrepresented populations and being under the age of 40. Individuals who identify as non-binary and those who chose not to be disclosed made up the remaining 16%.
On May 4, 1959, the first Grammy Awards ceremony was held. There will be a total of 99 categories at the next Grammy Awards. The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) puts together the awards show.
