Recording Academy CEO Addresses AI-Generated Drake Song’s Grammy Eligibility

The CEO of the Recording Academy, which hosts the annual Grammy Music Awards, has clarified misunderstandings surrounding the eligibility of an AI-generated Drake song for a Grammy nomination.

On September 8, Harvey Mason Jr. posted a video on Instagram, explicitly stating that the song is not eligible for Grammy consideration and emphasizing that even though it was written by a human creator, the vocals were not legally obtained, the vocals were not cleared by the label or the artist, and the song is not commercially available, and because of that, it’s not eligible.

He acknowledged that the topic of AI is both complex and evolving rapidly, underscoring his commitment to taking it very seriously. He anticipates further developments and changes in the industry. While music incorporating AI elements can qualify for Grammy nominations, it must meet specific criteria, particularly the requirement that the portion eligible for nomination was created by a human.

For instance, to win an award for vocal performance, the vocals must have been performed by a human. Mason Jr. reiterated this point in his latest statement by stating, “Please do not be confused: the Academy is here to support, advocate for, protect, and represent human artists and human creators, period.” The disputed track was removed from platforms due to copyright violations and the absence of approval from the artist and label.

Labels have been urging platforms to be vigilant about removing content that infringes on artists’ intellectual property. In April, Universal Music Group (UMG) called on streaming services, including Spotify, to remove AI-generated content.

Most recently, UMG and Google announced a collaboration to combat AI deepfakes. They are currently in negotiations regarding licensing melodies and vocal tracks for use in AI-generated content.

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