Grammys CEO Sends Letter Reminding Members to Vote With Firmness

Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. wants to make one thing clear to Recording Academy voters: “There is no place in our organization for such prejudice, such grudges, or such reckless voting.”

The songwriter-producer and executive sent a letter to Academy voters on Friday, reminding them to vote for the 2025 show with a specific goal.

“Last Grammy season, I heard a voter say that he hadn’t taken a particular artist seriously since a performance he attended over a decade earlier. I was shocked and disturbed by this. There is no place in our organization for such bias, grudges, or reckless voting. This is about the year and the quality of the work, period!” he wrote.

Mason Jr. adds: “There should be no other reason to vote. If you’re taking into account an artist’s older work, or their reputation, or their race, or their gender, or what label they’re on, who their manager is, how many friends were involved with the project, or anything like that, you’re not doing your job. I know most of you are already doing this, but please, just listen to the music and rate it!”

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 2, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with nominees announced on November 8. The first round of voting will take place from October 4 to 15, and the final vote will take place from December 12 to January 3, 2025.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are among the celebrities expected to be nominated at the upcoming show, which will air live on CBS and stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Read Mason Jr.’s full letter below.

Dear GRAMMY Voters,

Normally, you don’t hear about GRAMMY voting until our ballot opens, but this year, it’s different. I want to make sure you understand how critical it is for you to vote, and to vote with intention and integrity.

We all know that the Grammy Awards are the most coveted honor in music because they are an honor that comes from one’s peers. They are not a popularity contest. Nominees and winners are not chosen by critics, fans or Academy staff. They are chosen by you, the more than 12,000 music creators who are the voting members of the Recording Academy.

You are the GRAMMY electorate. Your votes are tallied by Deloitte, then publicly announced, celebrated and recorded by history as the best in music of the year. The trajectory of people’s careers and lives is modified by your choices. As such, you have a duty to your peers to vote intentionally, deliberately, proudly and with determination.

Last Grammy season, I heard a voter say that he hadn’t taken a particular artist seriously since a performance he had seen over a decade earlier. I was shocked and disturbed by this. There is no place in our organization for such prejudice, grudges, or reckless voting. This is about the year and the quality of the work, period!

There should be no other reason to vote. If you are…