Grammys introduces new rule on AI recordings: 'Only human creators are eligible'
While much of the entertainment industry is debating the reach and impact of AI, the Recording Academy is cracking down.
On Friday, the organization released its new rules for the 66th annual Grammy Awards, including new guidance on the role of AI in creating music. "Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any Category," the Academy says.
However, that does not mean that any work that features AI components will be automatically ineligible. The rules further clarify: "The human authorship component of the work submitted must be meaningful and more than de minimis; such human authorship component must be relevant to the category in which such work is entered (e.g., if the work is submitted in a songwriting category, there must be meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship in respect of the music and/or lyrics; if the work is submitted in a performance category, there must be meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship in respect of the performance); and the author(s) of any AI material incorporated into the work are not eligible to be nominees or Grammy recipients insofar as their contribution to the portion of the work that consists of such AI material is concerned. De minimis is defined as lacking significance or importance; so minor as to merit disregard."
GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images Grammy Award trophy
The Academy also made changes to the total number of nominees in the top categories, reducing the number of nominees in Album, Song, and Record of the Year, and Best New Artist from 10 to eight.
Additionally, to be eligible for the nomination for Album of the Year, a music creator must now be part of at least 20 percent of an album. Previously, anyone who contributed to the album — producer, songwriter, engineer, or featured artist — would be included in the nomination, whether they worked on one song or the entire album.
The new rulings on the Album of the Year category are a reversal of the previous 2021 change that allowed any producer or songwriter to earn the nod.
Other rule changes include reducing the number of genre fields that members choose to vote in from 26 to 11 and the elimination of a rule that required any nominees in the Best Music Film category to feature at least 51 percent of performance-based material.
Some categories have also been re-named, and three new categories were announced earlier this week: Best African Music Performance, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best Alternative Jazz Album.
The full list of changes can be viewed here.
Songs and albums released between Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023 will be eligible for the 66th annual Grammy Awards, which will take place in winter 2024. Nominations will be announced in November.
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