The Chief Executive Officer of the Recording Academy, Harvey Jay Mason Jr., has explained the criteria for winning a Grammy Award, stressing that the process is strictly based on peer evaluation and not popularity or commercial success.
Mason made this clarification to address concerns from artists and fans who often feel shortchanged after the annual Grammy Awards. According to him, the only way to win a Grammy is through votes cast by members of the Recording Academy.
He explained that to qualify as a voting member of the Academy, an individual must be a music professional, primarily based in the United States and a few other eligible countries. Once admitted as members, they are responsible for listening to submitted works and judging them based on musical quality and content.
“The Grammys don’t care about streams, fans or millions of followers,” Mason said. “The voting is purely based on the opinion of music professionals who assess the quality of the music. It’s subjective, and that’s what makes it very hard.”
He further emphasized that the awards process is free from external influence, noting that record labels, journalists and social media platforms have no role in determining winners.
“It’s just music professionals voting for their peers, and we’ve been doing that for 66 years, period,” he added.
