There’s a petition floating around that suggests that non-commercially released music be considered for Grammy nominations. So far, 23,648 supporters seem to think so. Per the Change.org …. Ridiculously talented artists who are releasing free mixtape sand projects are not getting the recognition they truly deserve because the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences insists that to be eligible for a prestigious Grammy Award that the music be “commercially released in general distribution in the United States, i.e. Sales by label to a branch or recognized independent distributor, via the Internet or mail order/retail sales for a nationally marketed product. Recordings must be available for sale from any date within the eligibility period through at least the date of the current year’s voting deadline (final ballot).” The originator of the petition, Max Krasowitz, argues that rappers like Chance The Rapper should undoubtingly be recognized because of his national critical acclaim and performances on a mainstream scale. Due to the modern avenues in which artists share their music to fans, artists should not be punished by the Grammy’s and NARAS for making music available for free. What are your thoughts?
