In the midst of a controversy surrounding accusations of lacking diversity relating to both race and gender, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences putting forth new initiatives to tackle the issue, according to CNN.
Recording Academy Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer Harvey Mason Jr announced the changes on Sunday in a memo sent to organization members that was obtained by CNN.
"Six months ago, when I put my hat in the ring to be your Chair, I did so because I believed that the Academy could do better -- could be better," Mason wrote in his message. "The music we create has always reflected the best of ourselves and our world. But what was true of music has historically not been true of the music business as a whole.
"Too often, our industry and Academy have alienated some of our own artists -- in particular, through a lack of diversity that, in many cases, results in a culture that leans towards exclusion rather than inclusion," he added.
The Academy plans to hire a dedicated diversity and inclusion officer, establish a fellowship that will independently report on the Academy's effort, create an annual fund to be distributed to "women in music" organizations, and more.
For more information, you can find the full CNN report here.
Ousted Grammy Chief Accused Of Lying, Extorting Recording Academy
Deborah Dugan is facing some big allegations.
Although the Grammys are set to take place this weekend, it appears as though there are some internal issues the Recording Academy is dealing with. Deborah Dugan, the ousted Grammy chief, has been at the center of controversy ever since allegations were made that she created a “toxic and intolerable” working environment which was also described as “abusive and bullying.”
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Following the complaint, Dugan was put on leave due to a “formal allegation of misconduct [was made against her] by a senior female [staff] member.” But she filed her own complaint to the head of HR alleging “something was seriously amiss at the Academy” while accusing them of misconduct including voting practices, conflicts of interest, and financial mismanagement.
But perhaps the allegations she made aren’t as serious as she made them out to be. According to reports from Billboard and Variety, on Jan. 10th, less than a week before she was placed on leave, she demanded $22M from the Academy to withdraw her complaints and quietly step down from her position.
“Ms. Dugan’s attorney then informed the executive committee that if Ms. Dugan was paid millions of dollars, she would ‘withdraw’ her allegations and resign,” the Academy’s interim CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in an e-mail memo. “I’m deeply disturbed and saddened by the ‘leaks’ and misinformation, which are fueling a press campaign designed to create leverage against the Academy for personal gain.”
