LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — In a surprise move, Neil Portnow, head of Grammy parent organization NARAS, met with outspoken Grammy critic Steve Stoute. Stoute, a longtime record and market exec, criticised the Grammy Awards in an open letter published in the New York Times two weeks ago, in which he accused the Grammys as having lost touch with popular music and that the awards show "has become a series of hypocrisies and contradictions".
The result of the Thursday meeting between Stoute and Portnow, as reported in Billboard, was a joint statement which read: "The voices of artists and our creative community are at the heart of the missions of the Recording Academy and indeed the music industry itself. Expanding constructive and positive ways to continue to actively incorporate generational and artistic diversity in the Academy's development and good work serves those important missions. The participation of new and culturally diverse voices has and continues to be a goal which benefits our members, the creative community, and music fans everywhere.
"To that end, we have come together in a collaborative manner to discuss how the Recording Academy can continue to evolve in an ever-changing cultural environment. We invite others who share this agenda to join us in these discussions."
How and if, this new 'partnership' will affect the selection process for the Grammys remains to be seen and as of yet, no formal announcements on specific changes has been issued by NARAS. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
