New rules frame the Grammy Awards, one of the most elite ceremonies in the music industry. For its 66th edition, music generated using artificial intelligence will be able to win a prize. “Artificial Intelligence, or music that contains elements created by AI, is absolutely eligible for entry and consideration for a Grammy nomination. A point that’s all, “says Harvey Mason Jr, president and CEO of the Recording Academy – the organization that issues the awards – to the Associated Press. This decision was made in consultation with industry stakeholders to “keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of the music industry”. Because now, music generators such as Music Gen, Beatoven or Boomy allow the creation of original excerpts.
With a limit however. “Only human creators can be submitted for consideration, nominated, or win a Grammy Award. A work that contains no human author is not eligible in any category”. “We will not award a Grammy or a Grammy nomination for the AI part,” Harvey Mason Jr clarifies to The Associated Press.
In concrete terms, the eligibility of a title for the ceremony is governed by several conditions. A song whose vocals are written by AI or a vocal modeling program, could be eligible for a prize in the “composition” category, but not in the “performance” category. Conversely, a piece performed by a singer whose music is composed by the AI, could receive a distinction in the category “performance”, but not in the category “composition”. “We don’t want technology to replace human creativity. We want to make sure that technology enhances it, embellishes it, or complements it. This is why we have taken this particular position in this award cycle,” added the director of the Recording Academy.
For several years, many songs generated with artificial intelligence have been shared on social networks and streaming platforms. The hip-hop title Heart on my Sleeve, created from the voices of Drake and The Weeknd, has 15 million views on Tiktok. Drowned in the Sun “by” Nirvana picks up the grunge sounds of Come as you are and garners nearly 750,000 listeners on Youtube. Paul McCartney also announces the release of an unreleased track this year with the voice of the deceased singer of Imagine. If we follow the new Grammy guidelines, the title could potentially appear on the list of nominations at the next ceremony on July 4, 2024 in Los Angeles.