- Grammys’ AI Rules: Clarification on Eligibility for AI-Generated Music
- AI-Only Works Prohibited: Human Creators Only Eligible for Grammy Nominations
- Balancing Technology and Creativity: Recording Academy’s Stance on AI in Music Industry
As AI continues to make its mark on the music industry, the Grammys have revised their rules. Now, the CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Junior, has clarified the regulations regarding human versus AI-created work.
The Grammys’ CEO clarified their view on AI in music.
Harvey Mason Junior, CEO and President of the Recording Academy, stated, “AI or music containing AI-created elements is eligible for entry and consideration for a Grammy nomination.” Period”.
It follows new guidelines stating that AI-only works are prohibited and that “only human creators are eligible” for a Grammy, the most prestigious music award in the world.
The new rules also stated that works without human authorship are ineligible for consideration in any category.
Several news pieces covered the Recording Academy’s rulebook change to reflect the music industry’s growth.
To be nominated, music creators must also contribute at least 20% of an album. Producers, songwriters, engineers, and featured artists could previously be considered for album of the year.
Mr. Mason Jr. said the Grammys, like the music and entertainment industry, was adapting to new technology.
He added, “We will not award a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion of a song.”
An AI or voice-modeling programme singing the lead is an example. Such a song would be eligible in the songwriting category but not in the performance category.
If a song was sung by a human in a recording studio, but the lyrics or melody were written by artificial intelligence, the song would not be eligible for a composition or songwriting category.
Mr. Mason Jr. continued, “As long as the human is contributing in a meaningful manner, which is more than a de minimis amount, they will always be considered for nomination or victory.
We do not want technology to supplant human creativity. We want to ensure that technology enhances, embellishes, and augments human creativity. This is the reason why we took this position in this award cycle.”
David Guetta’s Emin-AI-em and Grimes’ generative audio instrument let anyone clone her voice.
Mr. Mason Jr. asserts that the Recording Academy has conducted extensive research, including hosting tech summits, and that AI discussions “really came to a head in the last six months.”
In June, there was outrage after Paul McCartney disclosed that “the last Beatles record” had used artificial intelligence to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo recording.
Mr. Mason Jr. stated that he did not know the complete breakdown of the song’s production, but that based on “early descriptions” of the song’s creation, it “would be eligible [for a Grammy]”.
He speculated that next year’s Grammy nominees may feature AI-created tunes.
He stated, “People utilize technology. I imagine it will be featured on many albums and compositions this year. I’m sure some will be nominated, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Since the first Grammy Awards ceremony in 1959, AI-generated songs with famous singers’ voices have proliferated.
New technologies stole Drake, The Weeknd, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and Ariana Grande’s vocals in the past year.
In the meantime, the ongoing actors’ and writers’ strikes in the United States include negotiations over the use of generative AI, advocating for additional safeguards to prevent it from being used to replace them in their roles.
The Grammy Awards 2024 are held in Los Angeles on February 4th.
