THE RECORDING ACADEMY: CHAPTERS AND VERSE

On the surface, the Recording Academy is run like many large organizations: Executives run the day-to-day and work closely with the Board of Trustees, the highest authority. Its bylaws lay out the Academy’s structure, the path to becoming a trustee and more. Reading those bylaws is a more powerful sedative than any elephant tranquilizer, but it’s instructive nonetheless, and reveals that much is left to the board to “determine.” Despite only having two regularly scheduled meetings a year, the BOT can step in at any moment and shake things up. Without its blessing, however, it’s difficult to create change.

Members must affiliate with one of 12 Chapters based on their residence or business base. All voting members must have commercial credits and make up the class that selects the actual award winners. That’s who votes for the bling.

Based on the number of voting members in a Chapter, the BOT determines the number of Trustees each Chapter elects—at least two. Individuals are nominated to be trustees and elected by the Chapter’s board by plurality vote.

To serve as a Trustee, an individual must be a voting member who has served at least two years as a national officer or member of a Chapter Board. Additionally, their professional activity must be in the music/recording field during their tenure. Trustees and Chapter Board members receive no compensation. Trustees serve two-year terms and, upon completion of a second consecutive term, cannot serve again for at least a year.

Trustees and Trustee Officers make up the class empowered to elect Trustee Officers by majority vote; remove a trustee, trustee officer or governor by supermajority vote; and more.

Here’s the big takeaway: Regardless of what Tina Tchen’s task force looks like, any changes will take place at the behest of the Board.

Key:

1] Atlanta National Trustees:

Tammy Hurt, Matt Still

2] Chicago Trustees:

Kim Owens “KEM”, Matt Hennessy, Justin Roberts

3] Florida Trustees:

Carlos Alvarez, Greg “Stryke” Chin, Eric Schilling

4] Los Angeles National Trustees:

Mindi Abair, John Burk, Ed Cherney, Mike Clink, Rodney Jerkins, Booker T. Jones, Mike Knobloch

5] Memphis National Trustees:

Scott Billington, Ken Shepherd

6] Nashville National Trustees:

Jeff Balding, Tracy Gershon, George J. Flanigen IV, Brett James, Shannon Sanders

7] New York Trustees:

Linda Lorence Critelli, Jeff Levenson, Ann Mincieli, ​Riggs Morales, Nile Rodgers, Richard Stumpf

8] Pacific Northwest National Trustees:

Sue Ennis, Tyler Stone

9] Philadelphia Trustees:

Ivan Barias, Terry Jones

10] San Francisco National Trustees:

Gino Robair, Nick Phillips, Michael Romanowski

11] Texas Trustees:

Carlos H. Alvarez, Teresa LaBarbera, Tim Palmer

12] Washington DC Trustees:

Tracy Hamlin, James McKinney

Most Chapters, when contacted, were not cooperative in supplying information of names of trustees. Information was sourced from Grammy and Chapter websites.

Everybody is a volunteer, except Corporate Officers.