Recording Academy Announces Industry-Wide Initiative To Expand Opportunities For Female Producers and Engineers

Today, the Recording Academy™'s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion announced an unprecedented new initiative that aims to expand opportunities for female music producers and engineers. The Producer & Engineer Inclusion Initiative is the inaugural action of a larger strategy to address gender inequity in the music industry. According to a 2018 USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study, only 2 percent of music producers and 3 percent of engineers/mixers across popular music are women. This initiative is the first step in a broader effort to improve those numbers and increase diversity and inclusion for all in the music industry.

The Inclusion Initiative calls on any entity or individual responsible for or involved in selecting and hiring producers and engineers to commit to making hiring decisions only after considering a slate of candidates that includes at least two women. It also asks working producers to take gender diversity challenges in music's technical fields into account when determining who to mentor and prepare for development and advancement opportunities. To assist in ensuring the success of this initiative, the Recording Academy has committed to creating and hosting a webpage dedicated solely to facilitating the process of identifying working female producers and engineers. The website enables anyone seeking to consider and hire a woman for a position to quickly access relevant resources, including tools provided by She Is The Music and Women's Audio Mission, leading organizations that help connect decision-makers with female producers and engineers.

"The music industry is at a crossroads and progress won't happen on its own. There is no magic bullet to shift a status quo that has existed for centuries, but we see this initiative as an important step," said Tina Tchen, Chair of the Recording Academy's Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion and Partner at Buckley LLP, who previously served as chief of staff to former First Lady, Michelle Obama. "We know that change requires real commitment to intentional hiring and to providing young women with consistent training and mentorship. We aren't here to tell anyone who to hire, but we have seen repeatedly that the simple act of making sure diverse candidates are always seen and considered makes it more likely that women will get the opportunities they previously have been denied. It's one step everyone can take that could go a long way to catalyzing important change that is overdue in this industry."

A diverse and impressive lineup of more than 200 artists, producers, labels, agencies, management companies, and other stakeholders, including Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Common, Andra Day, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Shawn Mendes, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, P!NK, Post Malone, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and more have already signed on to the initiative, signifying their commitment to diversity and overcoming long standing barriers to success in the music industry. The full and growing list is below. The Task Force is thrilled to have received support from this founding class, and looks forward to announcing the names of additional persons and companies who commit to the Inclusion Initiative.

"As an artist and member of the Recording Academy, I'm proud to join this pledge and appreciate the work of the Task Force to bring this forward. Women deserve as much opportunity as men, and we know this industry has not always been fair. The only way to change these inequities is for us to face it directly and commit to do more," said artist and Task Force member, Common.

The Inclusion Initiative gives employers and creative decision-makers the continued ability to make the right choice for their music, while simultaneously providing visibility and opportunity for female producers and engineers. Bringing visibility to these issues will not only expand opportunities for women today, but it will also inspire more young women and girls to pursue technical careers in the music industry going forward, which could help shrink the gender gap.

"I've been very fortunate in my career to surround myself with powerful female figures. I'm proud to have a female engineer run my own Unsub Studios. I pledge to support this great initiative to provide even more opportunity to talented female producers and engineers," said artist Katy Perry.

The Recording Academy Task Force was established in March of 2018 to examine issues of inclusion and diversity within the Academy and the broader music community.

PRODUCER AND ENGINEER INCLUSION INITIATIVE
FOUNDING SUPPORTERS

PRODUCERS

• Josh Abraham
• Alex da Kid
• John Alagia
• Jack Antonoff
• Jeff Bhasker
• BloodPop
• Evan Bogart
• Dave Cobb
• Lauren Christy
• Jennifer Decilveo
• Diplo
• Mike Elizondo
• Eman (Emanuel Kiriakou)
• Emilio Estefan
• Ryan Freeland
• Ludwig Göransson
• Robin Hannibal
• Alex Hope
• Dann Huff
• Jimmy Jam*
• Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
• Tyler Johnson
• Larry Klein
• Savan Kotecha
• Diana Krall
• Sebastian Krys
• Greg Kurstin
• Luke Laird
• Frank Liddell
• Tucker Martine
• Juan de Dios Martín
• Max Martin
• Shane McAnally
• Blake Mills
• MUNA
• Linda Perry
• Ron Perry
• Salaam Remi
• Maggie Rogers
• Mark Ronson
• Raphael Saadiq
• Luis "Dro1dz" Salazar
• Santigold
• Jack Splash
• Andres Torres & Mauricio Rengifo
• Ryan Tedder
• The Chainsmokers
• TRAKGIRL*
• Pharrell Williams
• Dan Wilson
• Dion "No I.D." Wilson

ARTISTS

• 2 Chainz
• Ryan Adams
• Jhene Aiko
• Aminé
• Kassi Ashton
• Baby Goth
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Jon Batiste
• James Bay
• Becky G
• Tony Bennett
• Dierks Bentley
• Justin Bieber
• Big Sean
• Bleachers
• Mary J. Blige
• Leon Bridges
• Bishop Briggs
• Brothers Osborne
• Caamp
• Colbie Caillat
• Alessia Cara
• Cardi B
• Brandi Carlile
• Cam*
• Chance the Rapper
• Kelly Clarkson
• Common*
• Ruth-Anne Cunningham
• Andra Day*
• Deer Tick
• Diplo
• Dispatch
• Missy Elliott
• Gloria Estefan
• Sharon Van Etten
• Ezinma
• Fall Out Boy
• Fat Joe
• FLETCHER
• Teddy Geiger
• Selena Gomez
• Ariana Grande
• Halsey
• Phil Hanseroth
• Tim Hanseroth
• Ryan Hurd
• Lauren Jauregui
• Joe Jonas
• Nick Jonas
• Alicia Keys
• Kian
• Emily King
• Diana Krall
• Kungs
• Lady Gaga
• Ray Lamontagne
• John Legend
• Coi Leray
• Little Big Town
• Jennifer Lopez
• Post Malone
• Shirley Manson (Garbage)
• Maroon 5
• Lori McKenna
• Meek Mill
• Shawn Mendes
• Lily Meola
• Metro Boomin
• Julia Michaels
• Nicki Minaj
• Steve Moakler
• Janelle Monáe
• Ashley Monroe
• Maren Morris
• MUNA
• Kacey Musgraves
• Lukas Nelson
• Of Monsters and Men
• Old Dominion
• Pearl Jam
• Katy Perry
• Pink
• Ben Platt
• Jessie Reyez
• Bear Rinehart
• Maggie Rogers
• Rozzi
• Santigold
• Troye Sivan
• Martin Solveig
• Lennon Stella
• Lindsey Stirling
• Tank and the Bangas
• Tegan and Sara
• The Chainsmokers
• The Killers
• The Weeknd
• Meghan Trainor
• Transviolet
• Gloria Trevi
• Carrie Underwood
• Keith Urban
• Usher
• Grace VanderWaal
• WALK THE MOON
• Michelle Williams
• Pharrell Williams
• X Ambassadors
• YG
• Yo Gotti
• Justin Young
• Jeremy Zucker

LABELS

• Arista Records
• Arista Nashville
• Astralwerks
• Atlantic Records
• ATO Records
• Beggars Group
• Big Loud Records
• Big Machine Label Group
• Blue Note Records
• Buskin Records
• Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG)
• Capitol Records
• Capitol Records Nashville
• Columbia Records
• Columbia Nashville
• Concord
• Creative Nation
• Crooked Paintings
• Def Jam Recordings, Inc.
• Disney Music Group (DMG)
• Disruptor Records
• EMI Nashville
• Epic Records
• Glassnote Records
• Harvest Records
• Interscope Geffen A&M
• Island Records
• KidzBop
• Kill Rock Stars
• MCA Nashville
• Mercury Nashville
• Mom+Pop
• Monument Records
• Motown Records
• RCA Records
• RCA Nashville
• Republic Records
• River House Artists
• Secretly Group (Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian)
• Sire Records
• Sony Music Latin Iberia Region
• Sony/ATV Music Publishing
• Thirty Tigers
• Tommy Boy
• Triple Tigers
• Universal Music Group (UMG)
• Universal Music Latin Entertainment(UMLE)
• Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG)
• Verve Label Group
• Virgin Records
• Warner Bros. Records
• Warner Music Group (WMG)
• Warner/Chappell Music

MANAGEMENT

• 42 Entertainment
• Advanced Alternative Media Inc.
• Amelia Artists
• Jason Aron and Anthony Li, Halsey Management
• Jonathan Azu, Red Light Management
• Hannah Babitt, This Is Noise Management
• Mark Beaven
• Borman Entertainment
• Will Botwin, Red Light Management
• Scooter Braun & Allison Kaye, SB Project
• Bobby Campbell
• Creative Nation
• Mark Cunningham, Red Light Management
• Kelly Curtis, Curtis Management
• Direct Management
• Ann Edelblute, The HQ
• Jeffrey Evans, Bassline Management*
• Foundations Music
• Full Stop Management
• John Geraghty, JPG Projects
• Tracy Gershon
• Adam (Ash) Harrison
• Quincy Jones Productions
• Andy Kipnes
• Rachel Kurstin, No Expectations Management + Publishing
• Karen Kwak
• Little Underground Management
• Dre London, London Entertainment
• Lindsay Marias, Grit & Magic Entertainment
• Phil McIntyre, PhilyMac
• Mick Management
• Modest! Management
• Morris Higham Management
• Jason Owen, Sandbox
• Rebel One Management
• Red Light Management
• River House Artists
• Guillermo Rosas
• RPM Management
• Sandbox Entertainment
• Shopkeeper Management
• SMACK
• Ty Stiklorius, Friends at Work*
• TaP Management
• Three Six Zero
• Triple 8 Management
• XO

AGENCIES, ENT. COMPANIES, STAKEHOLDERS

• A2IM (American Association of Independent Music)
• Global Music Rights
• Roc Nation
• She Is The Music
• The Azoff Company
• Beka Tischker, Wide Eyed Entertainment
• William Morris Endeavor
• Women's Audio Mission

*Indicates Task Force Member

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