MOVING FORWARD

‘Monumental Step’: Grammy Awards Will Require Producers to Hire Diverse Candidates

Producers’ contracts will now have an “inclusion rider” to foster diversity at the ceremony.

The 2022 Grammy Awards aims to have a more diverse show with the adoption of “inclusion riders,” which will require producers to hire diverse candidates for the ceremony. “We’re dedicated to fostering an environment of inclusion industry-wide and hope that our efforts set an example for our peers in the music community,” said Academy President and CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. in a statement, adding that it’s a “monumental step.” The Grammy Awards have now become the first major music awards show to publicly commit to having an inclusion rider as part of producers’ contracts to ensure that people from underrepresented backgrounds are part of the ceremony both behind the scenes and on stage. “This inclusion rider is a written rule that will change the culture of hiring at the Grammys, and will make inclusion the norm,” said Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change, a non-profit that is working in partnership with the Recording Academy on the initiative.