The Recording Academy came to Washington, D.C., for their annual Grammys on the Hill, a time to advocate about issues affecting music creatives. This year, Grammy winners and nominees visited the White House and Capitol Hill to discuss AI fakes and high concert ticket prices, while also taking time to honor their own and two congressional leaders with Grammys on the Hill Awards.
Singer, composer, producer, advocate, and nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow and Congressional members Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) were awarded for their significant contributions in supporting music creators.
Talking AI and High Ticket Prices with U.S. Political Leaders
The Recording Academy continues to call on Congress to protect the image, likeness and voice of individual creators from AI fakes.
Legislative measures such as the No AI FRAUD Act in the House of Representatives and the Senate’s No FAKES Act are in the discussion draft phase.
A second issue is reforming the live event ticket marketplace to protect artists and fans through legislation. This includes the Senate’s Fans First Act and a similar House bill, the TICKET Act.
On May 1, music creative advocates went to the U.S. Capitol for several meetings with Congressional members seeking support for these issues and bills. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) addressed the group.
“Your identity is in danger because of artificial intelligence,” Salazar asserted. “Did you know that right now, someone with not very good intentions can grab the image and voice and likeness of your daughter and transfer that information to make pornography?”
Later that day, more than 60 advocates headed to the White House to discuss AI policy with senior members of the Biden-Harris Administration. While at the White House, advocates were briefed on AI policy, ticket reforms, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the President’s work on gun violence. That was followed by a special conversation with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Hearing Directly from Grammy Winners and Nominees
Consumers have been horrified by the rising cost of concert tickets. But it is another thing to hear successful recording artists talk about what they encountered when buying tickets to hear live music.
“Well, I can attest as a husband and dad with a family that wanted to see Taylor Swift, the ticket prices were out of control,” said musician, composer, producer, and five-time Grammy winner Jimmy Jam, “A lot of the time, it’s not really the artist benefitting from the higher prices. Artists set their ticket price, but because of a type of deregulation, those tickets are allowed to be sold at really exorbitant prices.”
Vocalist Patti Austin, known for her hit records in R&B, jazz, and pop, was among Grammy artists who came to speak with legislators. She is a seven-time Grammy nominee and has received one. Austin is also the founder of the mentoring organization The Over My Shoulder Foundation. She has a clear perspective about the impact of AI and skyrocketing ticket prices on music creatives.
“You gotta stop the pimping because that’s what’s going on with ticket prices. I’m gonna take your talent and monetize it,” Austin continued. “We’ve known about AI for a long time. We’ve watched what technology has done to every industry on planet Earth.”
Learn more about Grammys on the Hill and the Recording Academy’s advocacy work at https://www.recordingacademy.com.
