Africans invited to join Recording Academy’s class of 2022

The invitees, who have until 12 July to accept the call to become voting members, include Nigerian musicians Praiz and Laycon, A&R specialist Abiodun ‘Bizzle’ Osikoya, Boomplay Ghana general manager Elizabeth Ntiamoah-Quarshie, artist manager Kwame ‘Kwaps’ Obeng-Kwapong and Empire marketing manager for Africa and the diaspora Stephanie Adamu.

The Recording Academy said that extending invitations to its new class of established music professionals from wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines was a fulfilment of its vision of “fostering a better world for creators”.

“I’m honoured to be part of the new Recording Academy member class and join the countless creators and professionals who serve, celebrate and advocate for our music community year round,” Osikoya said.

The academy says the invitees represent more than 13 different crafts and 22 different genres, with 56% coming from underrepresented communities.

In a video welcoming the new invitees, the academy’s vice-president of membership and industry relations, Kelley Purcell, said: “Our new members symbolise the future of the academy and represent the direction we are headed in as an organisation and the music community at large. Their new ideas, recommendations and observations help us drive positive progress as we continue our evolution.”

The Recording Academy’s director of member and outreach systems, Ashley Thomas, added that the new invitations symbolised “equality and equity” and continued “our commitment to creating a more welcoming and safe environment for all individuals across the industry.”

Last year, the Recording Academy welcomed almost 3 000 inductees, including Nigerian-American talent manager Jonathan Azu, Jamaican reggae singer Skip Marley and British act Tiana Major9. Nigerian musicians Bankulli and DJ Spinall as well as British-Ghanaian DJ and producer Juls joined the academy in 2020.