A MESSAGE FROM HMJ ON GRAMMY VOTING

Recording Academy members received the following message from Chairman and interim President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on Monday. It addresses "vote trading" and other issues and refers members to Academy rules on voting. The subject line of the email was "As you cast your Grammy votes, please remember..." Make of it what you will.

Dear [name],

Active participation is one of the most powerful drivers of change. As a voting member of the Recording Academy, you have the opportunity to represent the broader creative community and be part of the future.

As we gear up for the final round of GRAMMY Voting, I ask that you keep in mind our Vote Solicitation Guidelines and Voter Code of Conduct. It is imperative that as a voting member, you continue to participate in the GRAMMY Awards process in a fair and ethical manner and that voters make their choices based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the recordings.

Remember, the prestige of the GRAMMY comes from the expertise of our membership. As a voting member, you are uniquely qualified to pick the winners for Music’s Biggest Night. But the process only works if you vote based on the quality of the nominated recordings alone. Please do not engage in any vote trading, as it not only goes directly against our rules, but more importantly, it does a disservice to your peers.

I'd also like to remind you to take some time before and during the voting period to give another thoughtful listen to all of the nominated recordings in the categories in which you are voting. There are many voices in our community and informed voting ensures we distinguish, honor and celebrate excellence throughout our diverse industry.

By voting for the GRAMMY Awards, we make sure that we honor the artists that have put their heart and soul into creating comforting music that we can live by and relate to during a very challenging year. Music helps bring us together, and the 63rd GRAMMYs are an opportunity to unite, uplift, heal, and help us move forward.

Final-round ballots are accessible via your membership account beginning today, December 7, 2020, and will be open until January 4, 2021, at 6 p.m. PT.

Sincerely,
Harvey Mason Jr.
Chairman and Interim President/CEO Recording Academy