Why the Grammys need to change, with CEO Harvey Mason Jr.

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Harvey Mason, Jr is CEO of the Recording Academy, the nonprofit organization most famous for the Grammy Awards. We spoke right before this year's Grammy nominations came out, and you'll hear us talk a whole lot about the changes he's tried to make with how the awarding membership works.

I always say to watch what’s happening to the music industry because it’s a preview into what will happen to every other creative industry five years later. My chat with Harvey really drove the point home: AI, diversity, streaming distribution... it's all here, and all the tensions that come with.

Links:

• 2025 Grammy nominations: The complete list | NPR
• The Grammys Move From CBS To Disney In Major 10-Year Deal | Deadline
• Recording Academy boots Grammy voters | Los Angeles Times
• Chappell Roan and the problem with fandom | Vox
• Grammys CEO: Music that contains AI-created elements is eligible | AP News
• Deborah Dugan Grammys Controversy: What to Know | Time
• For Taylor Swift, the Future of Music Is a Love Story | Wall Street Journal (2014)
• AI is on a collision course with music | Decoder
• Elvis Costello defends Olivia Rodrigo over ‘Brutal’ plagiarism claim | BBC
• Why Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen thinks AI is the future | Decoder

Transcript:

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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