NEW CLASS REFLECTS ACADEMY’S CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO REPRESENTING TODAY’S VIBRANT MUSIC COMMUNITY
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (NOV. 3, 2025) — Just days before the 2026 GRAMMY Awards® nominations are announced, the Recording Academy® revealed that more than 3,800 diverse music creators and professionals who are actively working in the music industry have joined the Academy as part of its 2025 New Member Class, expanding the pool of qualified voters ahead of the 2026 GRAMMY Awards. Of those in the accepted class, 50% are 39 and under, 58% are People of Color and 35% identify as women. For the first time ever, invitations were also extended to all Latin Recording Academy® Voting Members, helping to build a more globally representative voting body. Full statistics surrounding the demographics of the new member class can be found here.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting week — not only are we welcoming this year’s incredible new class of Academy members, but we’re just days away from unveiling the 2026 GRAMMY Awards nominees,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “This year’s class reflects the vibrancy of today’s diverse music landscape. The addition of many Latin Recording Academy voting members underscores that music has no borders and that our mission to serve music people, regardless of where they are from, is stronger than ever. I can’t wait for our members’ passion and hard work to shine through in this year’s nominations.”
Recording Academy membership consists of Voting Membership for recording creators and Professional Membership for music business professionals. All members have the opportunity to participate in the organization’s year-round initiatives, driving meaningful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion progress through the DREAM Initiative, advocating for creators at the federal and state levels, engaging in programming with the Producers & Engineers Wing® and Songwriters & Composers WingTM, mentoring the next generation of music industry talent through GRAMMY U®, supporting peers across the Academy’s 12 Chapter cities, and more. Voting Members — made up of artists, songwriters, producers, and engineers active in the music industry — are eligible to vote, ultimately determining the GRAMMY® nominees and winners of Music’s Biggest Night®.
The 2026 GRAMMY Awards nominees will be unveiled at 11:00 a.m. EST / 8:00 a.m. PST this Friday, Nov. 7, during a livestream event on live.GRAMMY.com and YouTube. The full list of nominees will be published on GRAMMY.comimmediately following the presentation. The 2026 GRAMMY Awards Nominations are proudly sponsored by City National Bank, Dove and Vaseline.
For more information on the Recording Academy’s membership process and requirements, visit here.
