The Recording Academy had made its rules and guidelines public in recent years. The move is a bid to facilitate transparency and accountability within the Academy’s voting processes. Detailed in a 76-page document, the latest offering breaks down the 94 Grammy categories, making it known what each category entails. It also details the best practices expected of nominees during Grammy campaign season.

According to the document, while “For Your Consideration” events and communications are still allowed, they now come with some level of restrictions. FYC communications according to the guidelines “include, but are not limited to: emails, mailings, invitations, social media, websites, and print ads.”

This development by the Recording Academy brings some understanding to its processes whose obscurity has in the past deeply polarized fans and music lovers. While speaking on the reason for its FYC communication rule, the Recording Academy said “It is the goal of the Recording Academy to ensure the Grammy Awards process is led in a fair and ethical manner and that voting members make their choices based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible recordings.”

Grammy Awards officials also say that if any activity is determined to work in opposition to the Recording Academy’s guidelines, the Academy may take any corrective actions, including disqualification of entries.

New FYC Compliance 

According to Buzzing Pop, the latest FYC communication rules essentially state that:

  • Voters cannot accept money in exchange for votes or access to other members’ info
  • Artists cannot send gifts and/or other hospitality in exchange for votes 
  • Artists cannot contact the member to promote their Grammy-eligible product
  • Members invited to events would have to pay full price, no discount.

Grammys and Black Women

Despite making hefty contributions to the expansion and evolution of music, Black women have continued to be overlooked and under appreciated for works that often shift the culture. Last year, Beyoncé lost Album of the Year yet again, for Renaissance, an album that broke records and provided countless culture-shaping moments. The new transparency around the Grammy’s rules could potentially make its voters more accountable and hopefully bridge the structural inequities.