Artificial Intelligence (AI) Creations Ineligible for Grammy Awards

The Recording Academy Announces Changes to Eligibility Criteria, Emphasizing Human Involvement in Music Creation

In a significant move, the Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, has announced changes to its eligibility criteria for the coveted Album of the Year award and has introduced new rules concerning music created using artificial intelligence (AI). The Academy has clarified that only human creators are eligible for Grammy nominations and awards, effectively excluding works created solely by AI.

The new rules stipulate that music creators must now contribute to at least 20% of an album to be eligible for a nomination for Album of the Year. This is a departure from the previous criteria, where any producer, songwriter, engineer, or featured artist on an album could earn a nomination for Album of the Year, even if they contributed to just one song on a multi-track project.

The Academy’s board of trustees also passed updates regarding music made with AI. According to the new protocols, a work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category. However, human-created work made using AI technology is eligible, provided there is a significant human contribution. The human authorship component of the work submitted must be meaningful and more than de minimis. The authors 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.

The changes have been met with mixed reactions from the music industry. Some have championed the decision, arguing that it will lead to more people being recognized by the awards show. However, others have criticized the changes, suggesting that the nominees for Album of the Year could become overloaded due to the collaborative nature of contemporary pop, rap, and R&B albums.

In addition to these changes, the Academy has also announced that the number of nominees for the “big four” awards – Album, Song, and Record of the Year, along with Best New Artist – will be reduced from ten to eight. The Academy has also consolidated the number of fields from 26 to 11, giving voters more flexibility when casting their votes.

The Grammy Awards continue to evolve, reflecting changes in the music industry and technology. These new rules are a clear indication of the Academy’s commitment to recognizing and rewarding human creativity in the face of advancing AI technology.