This Wednesday, the Recording Academy announced that they will remove the word "urban" from the Grammy Awards. The word can be found in several categories and in the title of two awards.
Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. tells Variety that he wants to continue to adapt and pivot towards more inclusivity. While Republic Records has already made the change to discontinue the use of the word "urban" a week prior, Mason explains that this change has been in the works for months now, saying:
"The time frame of our process is that proposals are turned in by March, they're discussed [internally at annual board meetings] in May, and now we're talking about them publicly, so these are things that have been in the works for six months."
In light of this recent change, the rules for the 63rd Grammy Awards have been posted publicly. The rules include a chart showing the difference between the award names from the 62nd Grammys to the upcoming 63rd Grammys.
In the R&B field, the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album has been given out since 2012, with Lizzo as the current holder. The award will be changed to Best Progressive R&B Album.
In the Latin Field, the Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album award has been around since 1997, with Rosalía being as current holder. The award will be changed to Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
The Recording Academy has made yet another small step in the direction of equality. The 63rd Grammy Awards will be taking place on January 31st, 2021.
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