After a year in which The Weeknd’s boycott of the Grammys prompted the Recording Academy to abolish its anonymous nominating committees and revamp its voting practices and membership, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. believes that progress within the organization is “trending in the right direction.”
And he believes the just-announced nominations reflect the changes the board has made — despite nominations for figures like Marilyn Manson and Louis CK who have faced very public accusations of misconduct in recent years. Mason pointed to the surprise of Jon Batiste leading all nominees by crossing over numerous categories and seven different fields, not to mention some highlights in diversity in age, gender, race and genre across the board.