Almost two weeks after Steve Stoute’s diatribe in the New York Times, Neil Portnow, President of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and The Commissioner issued this statement regarding their new pact:

“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.”

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