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Skip Marley Among 2,710 Invited To New Class Of Grammy Voters

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Skip Marley

Two-time Grammy nominee Skip Marley — the grandson of King of Reggae Bob Marley — is among 2,710 music professionals invited to join the 2021 class of the Recording Academy.

In an apparent push to be more diverse, the Recording Academy, famous for its Grammy Awards, said on Monday that the incoming class of voters are from “wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines”.

The Academy — which represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals — also revealed that 5% of the 2021 class of invitees were from the Reggae genre. They said in order to participate in the process for the upcoming Grammy Awards, new members must accept their invitations by September 15, 2021.  The first voting ballot opens October 22 and closes November 5.

Reggae singer-songwriter Skip Marley said he is hoping to bring “an international sound” to the Academy. In a voice tweet that accompanied the Recording Academy’s announcement that it extended a membership invitation to the young Marley, he said he hopes “to spread the power of music to all corners of the Earth”.

“I really try to represent my family in my work, and I’ll be bringing along all people with me on this journey as well, so it will be a learning experience and growing experience for both of us,” said Skip. “The message is always the same, no matter where I go, near or far: love, truth and humility.

The Lions singer added: “I know that music can connect people and this is what I hope to bring, not only to the Academy, but to the world.”

The Recording Academy said the invitations, which reaffirm its recognition of the important contributions of music people to influence changes within the industry, are a reflection of its commitment to excellence and further growing its membership body.

“The 2021 class of invitees is 48 per cent female, 32 per cent Black or African American+, 13 per cent Hispanic or Latino/a/x+, and 4 per cent Asian or Pacific Islander+,” Recording Academy said. “The Academy’s existing membership represents 26 per cent female and 27 per cent from traditionally underrepresented groups.”

“Since setting the goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025, 831 women have joined the Recording Academy’s voting membership, putting the organization 33 per cent closer to reaching that milestone,” added the Recording Academy, which celebrates artistic excellence through the Grammy Awards — music’s highest achievements and only peer-recognised accolade.

The Academy’s Vice President of Membership and Industry Relations Kelley Purcell said it is an exciting time to join the Recording Academy and play a part in accelerating change, progress and evolution within the music industry.

“Our membership body is the driving force behind our actions, and we value the contributions of our members that help ensure the Academy’s practices authentically represent the current state of music. We’re excited to see what this new group brings to the table as we enter a new era at the Academy,” Purcell said.

Others invited to become members of the Recording Academy are: Jonathan Singletary, artist, songwriter and producer; recording artist Lupita Infante; singer-songwriter Tiana Major9; and CEO and founder of Culture Collective, Jonathan Azu.

The 64th Grammy Awards are set for January 31, 2022, at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

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