The Recording Academy
The U.S. music academy behind the Grammy Awards, founded in Los Angeles in 1957. After a 2020 crisis it scrapped secret nomination committees, retired the "urban" label, and rebuilt its electorate — 66% of whom joined since 2019. Harvey Mason Jr., its first Black CEO, leads it from Santa Monica.
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- Location
- Santa Monica, California
- Country
- United States
- What it is
- U.S. music-industry organization (the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences); presents the Grammy Awards; runs the GRAMMY Museum, MusiCares, and music advocacy
- Founded
- 1957, Los Angeles
- Headquarters
- Santa Monica, California (since 1993)
- CEO
- Harvey Mason Jr. — official president/CEO since May 2021; the Academy's first Black CEO
- Membership
- 3,000+ women voting members added since 2019 (goal: 2,500 by 2025); 66% of the electorate joined since 2019; ~8,700 new creator voters since 2019 (2024 Membership Report)
- First Grammys
- 4 May 1959 — ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton (Los Angeles) and the Park Sheraton (New York); 28 awards presented
Overview
The Recording Academy — formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences — is the U.S. music-industry organization behind the Grammy Awards, founded in Los Angeles in 1957 (CNN). Beyond the awards, its stated mission spans the GRAMMY Museum, the MusiCares charity, music advocacy, and peer-recognized honors (Business Wire). Since 1993 it has been headquartered in Santa Monica, California (CNN). What makes the Academy’s recent history distinctive is not a trophy but a rebuild: after a leadership crisis in 2020, it tore up how its voters are chosen and who gets to be one.
The 2020 reform package
The crisis began at the top. Deborah Dugan, hired as president/CEO, was fired after 169 days amid her public claims that the Grammy nomination process was rigged; Harvey Mason Jr., the former board chair, stepped in as interim chief in January 2020 (Pollstar). What followed was the most sweeping reform in the Academy’s history. The anonymous nomination review committees — the secret panels that had shaped the shortlists — were removed (Pollstar). In June 2020, the Academy dropped the term “urban” from its category names (CNN). And it set out to remake the electorate itself: a goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025.
The numbers say it worked. The Academy’s 2024 Membership Report records more than 3,000 women voting members added since 2019 — beating the goal early — with 66% of the current electorate having joined since the new membership model began in 2019, about 8,700 new creator voters since 2019, and a record 2,800+ new members in 2024 alone (Business Wire). CEO Mason declared it “the most diverse, representative GRAMMY electorate ever” (Business Wire). In May 2021, Mason was named the official president/CEO — the first Black person to lead the Academy (Pollstar). He succeeded a line that ran from Michael Greene, the first official president/CEO in 1988, through Neil Portnow, who led the Academy from 2002 (Pollstar).
The awards machine: 1959 to 2026
The first Grammy Awards were held on 4 May 1959, with ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles and the Park Sheraton in New York; 28 awards were presented, with winners including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and Perry Como (CNN). The first live telecast followed in 1971, hosted by Andy Williams from the Hollywood Palladium; the Grammy Hall of Fame was established in 1973 (CNN). The category map grew with the music: video in 1983, reggae in 1984, new age in 1987, rap in 1988, alternative in 1990 (CNN). The Grammy Foundation was created in 1988, the Latin Recording Academy in 1997 (first Latin Grammys 13 September 2000), and the Grammy Museum opened in Los Angeles in December 2008 (CNN).
The modern record book: Beyoncé set the all-time mark with 32 Grammy wins on 5 February 2023 (CNN). The 68th Grammys, held 1 February 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena, made history of its own — Album of the Year went to Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” the first Spanish-language album to win it, with Record of the Year to “luther” (Kendrick Lamar and SZA), Song of the Year to Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER,” and Best New Artist to Olivia Dean (CNN). And the Academy’s trophies keep minting firsts for its winners: in 2019, Ariana Grande won her first Grammy, Best Pop Vocal Album for “Sweetener,” at the pre-telecast ceremony — the Academy accepted the award on her behalf after she thanked it from afar, following earlier nominations in 2015 and 2017 (Zee News).
The mission beyond the trophies
The Academy describes its work as wider than the telecast: the GRAMMY Museum, the MusiCares charity for music professionals in need, advocacy work on creators’ behalf, and awards it calls the only peer-recognized music honors (Business Wire). Its voting membership spans 13 disciplines and more than 22 genres — the electorate the 2020 reforms set out to rebuild (Business Wire).
What this profile does not claim
This profile does not assert the Academy’s total current membership — only the growth figures its 2024 report publishes. Membership data is first-party (via Business Wire) and is presented as the Academy’s own reporting. Deborah Dugan’s rigging claims are reported as her claims, not as established fact. The Walk of Fame origin story sometimes attached to the Academy could not be verified from a full read and is excluded. Category history after the milestones listed (through 1990) is not covered, and nothing here predicts future winners or future rule changes.
Timeline
- 1957
- The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) was founded in Los Angeles.
- 1959
- The first Grammy Awards were held on 4 May, with ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York; 28 awards were presented, with winners including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and Perry Como.
- 1971
- The first live Grammy telecast aired, hosted by Andy Williams from the Hollywood Palladium.
- 1973
- The Grammy Hall of Fame was established.
- 1988
- Michael Greene became the Academy's first official president/CEO; the Grammy Foundation was founded.
- 1993
- The Academy moved into its Santa Monica headquarters.
- 1997
- The Latin Recording Academy was founded; the first Latin Grammys were held on 13 September 2000.
- 2008
- The Grammy Museum opened in Los Angeles in December.
- 2020
- The Academy dropped the term "urban" from category names in June, removed its anonymous nomination review committees, and postponed the Grammys (2021 and 2022 ceremonies) during COVID.
- 2021
- Harvey Mason Jr. was named official president/CEO in May — the first Black CEO — after serving as interim chief since January 2020, when Deborah Dugan was fired after 169 days amid her claims of rigging.
- 2023
- Beyoncé set the all-time record with 32 Grammy wins on 5 February.
- 2024
- The 2024 Membership Report showed 3,000+ women voting members added since 2019 (beating the 2,500-by-2025 goal), 66% of the electorate new since 2019, and a record 2,800+ new members that year.
- 2026
- The 68th Grammys were held 1 February at the Crypto.com Arena: Album of the Year went to Bad Bunny's "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" (the first Spanish-language AOTY), Record of the Year to "luther" (Kendrick Lamar and SZA), Song of the Year to Billie Eilish's "WILDFLOWER," and Best New Artist to Olivia Dean.
What we could not verify
These claims came up in research and could not be confirmed. They are recorded here rather than published as fact or quietly dropped. If you hold a source that settles one, please tell us.
- The Walk of Fame origin story for the Academy could not be verified from a full read and is excluded entirely.
- Deborah Dugan's rigging claims are reported as her claims (per Pollstar), not as established fact.
- Membership figures are from the Academy's own 2024 Membership Report (via Business Wire) — first-party data, presented as the Academy's reporting.
- Category milestones (video 1983, reggae 1984, new age 1987, rap 1988, alternative 1990) come from CNN's chronology; later category changes are not covered.
Sources
4 sources (1 tier 1, 2 tier 2, 1 first-party), each opened and read against the claim it supports. Statements the subject makes about itself are marked as such and are not treated as independent evidence. See the source policy.
This profile is built from four sources read in full: CNN's Grammy fast facts (the awards chronology), a Pollstar report on Harvey Mason Jr.'s appointment (the leadership crisis and reforms), the Academy's 2024 Membership Report via Business Wire (the electorate rebuild), and a Zee News report on Ariana Grande's first Grammy. It leads with the 2020 reform package — committees removed, "urban" retired, membership transformed — which page-one SERP summaries treat only in passing.
- Grammy Awards Fast Facts Tier 1Supports: NARAS founded 1957 Los Angeles; first Grammys 4 May 1959 (Beverly Hilton + Park Sheraton NYC), 28 awards, Fitzgerald/Basie/Como; 1971 first live telecast (Andy Williams, Hollywood Palladium); 1973 Hall of Fame; categories 1983 video, 1984 reggae, 1987 new age, 1988 rap, 1990 alternative; 1988 Grammy Foundation; 1993 Santa Monica HQ; 1997 Latin Recording Academy; first Latin Grammys 13 Sept 2000; Grammy Museum opened Dec 2008 LA; June 2020 dropped "urban" term; COVID postponements 2021/2022; Beyoncé 32 wins 5 Feb 2023; 68th Grammys 1 Feb 2026 Crypto.com Arena; 2026 winners (Bad Bunny first Spanish-language AOTY, "luther", "WILDFLOWER", Olivia Dean) Open original source
- Supports: Mason official president/CEO May 2021, first Black CEO; interim since Jan 2020; ex-board chair; succeeded Deborah Dugan (fired after 169 days, claimed rigging); anonymous nomination review committees removed; Portnow led since 2002; Michael Greene first official president/CEO 1988 Open original source
- Supports: Grande's first Grammy 2019, Best Pop Vocal Album for "Sweetener" (pre-telecast ceremony; thanked the Academy; Academy accepted on her behalf; prior nominations 2015, 2017) — in-body anchor for the Ariana Grande backlink Open original source
- Recording Academy Surpasses 2025 Membership Goal: Adds 3,000+ Women GRAMMY Voters Since 2019 First-partySupports: 2024 Membership Report: 3,000+ women voting members added since 2019 (goal 2,500 by 2025); 66% of electorate joined since 2019; ~8,700 new creator voters since 2019; 2,800+ new in 2024; 13 disciplines; 22+ genres; mission (GRAMMY Museum, MusiCares, advocacy, peer-recognized awards) Open original source
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