The Academy has extended new membership to over 2,300 music professionals

The Recording Academy has extended new membership invitations to over 2,300 music professionals. Among the invitees are Lil Nas X, Victoria Monét, Ozuna, and Gunna, according to Billboard and USA Today.

Members of the Recording Academy are able to vote for Grammys, submit their own work for Grammy consideration, and also propose changes to Recording Academy rules.

According to the Recording Academy, the Class of 2020 is 48% female, 21% African or African American, 8% Hispanic, and 3% Asian American and Pacific Islander. Last year’s class of invitees, for comparison, consisted of 1,340 women (49% of the class) and 41% people from “traditionally underrepresented communities.” The Academy says its current membership is 26% female with 25% of people “from traditionally underrepresented communities.”

Harvey Mason Jr., who is the Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement, “We are proud of the strides we’ve made toward ensuring our membership is diverse and inclusive, which is reflected within this new pool of invitees. While this progress signifies meaningful impact, there’s still more work to be done.”

Kelley Purcell, Senior Director of Member Outreach at the Recording Academy, added, “Building out our membership body is a process that encourages inclusivity from start to finish, and it’s a privilege to extend invitations to the 2020 class of invitees that represent the wide-ranging backgrounds and crafts that makes the music industry so unique.”

Back in 2018, the Recording Academy launched its Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion in the wake of former president Neil Portnow’s remarks that women in the industry needed to “step up.”