Grammy Awards Double Down On ‘Equity And Inclusion’ With Woke Hiring Instructions, Rider Shows

The Recording Academy released a rider to its production agreement that will affirm its commitment to “equity and inclusion” in hiring at all levels of production, according to a report from the Associated Press.

As reported by the AP, the Academy issued an 8-page document detailing the rider’s goals and objectives. The rider instructs the producers of the 64th annual awards show to “recruit and hire more diverse candidates backstage and in front of the camera,” from demographic groups “that have been historically and systematically excluded from the industry.” The rider was initially adopted in August, after Frances McDormand mentioned it during her acceptance speech for best actress at the Oscars.

Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, expressed pride in the initiative and hope that it would “move the needle” within the industry.

“The inclusion rider is something that will provide an opportunity for people that may not have had one before,” said Mason in an interview. “That’s really important to me. I wouldn’t be here if someone didn’t give me an opportunity. I’m trying to make pathways and make sure there’s areas for people to work into a system and climb their way through.”

The rider was co-authored by writer and speaker Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni and civil rights lawyer Kalpana Kotagal, and created with the help of several groups including the civil rights activist group Color of Change; Ryan Butler, founding director of Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University; and Recording Academy co-president Valeisha Butterfield Jones.

Kotagal told the AP that the rider will seek to improve representation and equity in four ways: