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Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award
Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award

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Recording Academy Renames Best Song For Social Change Award In Honor Of Harry Belafonte

Submissions for the newly renamed Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award are open now through Friday, Aug. 30.

GRAMMYs/Jul 17, 2024 - 01:59 pm

The Recording Academy has renamed and recategorized its annual Best Song For Social Change Special Merit Award to the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award in honor of the late entertainment industry icon who was a powerful voice for social justice throughout his illustrious career. Originally established in 2022, the award will continue to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact.

Formerly a Special Merit Award, the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award will now be categorized as a CEO's Merit Award; finalists and the recipients will be selected annually by a Committee composed of a community of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting, and the power of songs to effect social change.

The submission period for the current cycle of the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award is Wednesday, July 17 — Friday, Aug. 30. Read the awards guidelines and make a submission here. Learn more about the award, including all the past recipients.

Read More: Remembering Harry Belafonte’s Monumental Legacy: A Life In Music, A Passion For Activism

From his debut in the 1950s until his passing in 2023, Belafonte's artistic career progressed in parallel with his work as a trailblazing activist. An important friend of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and advisor, organizer and funder of the Civil Rights Movement, Belafonte helped organize the 1961 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and contributed to the 1961 Freedom Rides and the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. Belafonte was outspoken throughout his career about American political elections; he performed at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball and was later named as a cultural advisor to the Peace Corps by Kennedy.

Creating the gold record standard in the music industry, Belafonte's 1956 RCA album CALYPSO made him the first artist in history to sell over 1 million albums. An advocate for global humanitarian causes including the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa, Belafonte, in 1985, was the key organizer for the benefit single "We Are The World," which raised money for famine relief in Africa and ultimately won four GRAMMY Awards; it remains one of the best-selling physical singles of all time. As well, Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and traveled internationally to raise awareness for the needs of children across sub-Saharan Africa.

A two-time GRAMMY winner and 11-time GRAMMY nominee, Belafonte received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, and three of his recordings were inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.

Read More: Fight The Power: 11 Powerful Protest Songs Advocating For Racial Justice

"The greatness of Harry Belafonte's artistic legacy is matched by his profound impact of furthering social justice for all," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. "We are honored to recognize his lasting influence with the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award and to continue celebrating works that have inspired global communities towards social impact."

"The Belafonte estate is deeply honored and thrilled that the Recording Academy's Best Song For Social Change Award will now be named the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award," Adrienne, Shari, Gina, and Pamela Belafonte said in a statement. "This recognition not only celebrates Harry Belafonte's enduring legacy in music and activism, but also inspires future generations to continue using their voices and art for justice and positive change."

Read More About Harry Belafonte

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GRAMMY Award statue

Photo: Jathan Campbell

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GRAMMY Awards Updates For The 2025 GRAMMYs: Here's Everything You Need To Know About GRAMMY Awards Categories Changes & Eligibility Guidelines

Key updates to the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season include adjustments to eligibility criteria, Category renaming, and submission guidelines updates for some Categories, including the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical Category.

GRAMMYs/Jun 14, 2024 - 01:53 pm

The Recording Academy, the organization behind the annual GRAMMY Awards, is sharing a series of updates to the annual GRAMMY Awards process for the 2025 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 67th GRAMMY Awards, which take place Sunday, Feb. 2, live at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Key updates to the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season include adjustments to eligibility criteria, Category renaming, and submission guidelines updates for some Categories, including the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical Category. All updates go into effect immediately at the 2025 GRAMMYs.

The 2024 amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy's semiannual Board of Trustees meeting. These changes, designed to enhance the integrity and inclusivity of the awards, reflect the Academy's commitment to staying current with the evolving music industry.

Read more: 2025 GRAMMYs To Take Place Sunday, Feb. 2, Live In Los Angeles; GRAMMY Awards Nominations To Be Announced Friday, Nov. 8, 2024

The Recording Academy accepts proposals for changes to the GRAMMY Awards process from members of the music community year-round. The Awards & Nominations Committee, composed of Recording Academy Voting Members from diverse genres and backgrounds, meets annually to review proposals to update Awards Categories, procedures and eligibility guidelines.

For more information about the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season, learn more about the annual GRAMMY Awards process, read our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, view the official GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines, and visit the GRAMMY Award Update Center for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

Read the updates and amendments for the 2025 GRAMMYs in full below:

Eligibility, Criteria & Submission Guidelines Amendments:

  • All eligibly-credited Featured Artists with under 50% playtime will now be awarded a Winners' Certificate for all genre album Categories. (Note: Does not apply to Best Musical Theater Album, the General Field or Craft Categories.)

  • In the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical Category, the following submission guidelines were amended, allowing for wider representation of the songwriter community:

    • The minimum submission threshold in which a songwriter is credited as a songwriter or co-writer (not a primary or featured artist or producer) was reduced from five to four songs.

    • The additional number of songs a songwriter may enter in which they are also credited as a primary or featured artist, or any other supporting role, increased from four to five.

  • The Best Traditional R&B Performance Category criteria was amended to more accurately represent recordings that embody the classic elements of R&B/soul music, distinguishing them from contemporary interpretations of the genre.

  • The Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Category criteria was amended to expand the Category by broadening its scope and welcoming more entries from the Musical Theater community. Additionally, album eligibility criteria was updated to require that albums in this Category must contain more than 75% of newly recorded (previously unreleased) performances.

  • The Best Children's Music Album Category criteria was amended to include a requirement that lyrics and English-language translations must be included with entry submissions. Additionally, an intended audience age range for this Category was defined as infant to 12 years old.

GRAMMY Award Category Adjustments:

  • The Best Remixed Recording Category has moved from the Production, Engineering, Composition & Arrangement Field into the Pop & Dance/Electronic Field.

  • The Category formerly known as Best Pop Dance Recording has been renamed Best Dance Pop Recording.

  • The Best Dance/Electronic Music Album Category was renamed to Best Dance/Electronic Album, and the Category criteria was amended to establish that albums must be made up of at least 50% Dance/Electronic recordings to qualify.

  • Conjunto music will now be recognized in the Best Regional Roots Music Album Category, rather than the Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano) Category.

  • The Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media Category was amended to include a qualification for released material, specifically new DLC (downloaded content in-game) and Seasonal Expansions. The updated qualification establishes that greater than 50% of the music on an otherwise eligible Video Game Soundtrack or Interactive Media Soundtrack must be derived from new episodes or new programming released during the GRAMMY eligibility year for which it is entered.

GRAMMY News, Performances & Highlights

The 2025 GRAMMYs take place Sunday, Feb. 2, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Nominations for the 2025 GRAMMYs will be announced Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Graphic Courtesy of the Recording Academy

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2025 GRAMMYs To Take Place Sunday, Feb. 2, Live In Los Angeles; GRAMMY Awards Nominations To Be Announced Friday, Nov. 8, 2024

The 2025 GRAMMYs return to Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2. Nominations for the 2025 GRAMMYs will be announced Friday, Nov. 8. Learn more about the key dates and deadlines ahead of Music's Biggest Night.

GRAMMYs/May 21, 2024 - 12:59 pm

Music's Biggest Night is back! The 2025 GRAMMYs will take place Sunday, Feb. 2, live at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the Recording Academy announced today. The 2025 GRAMMYs will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on demand on Paramount+. As well, nominations for the 2025 GRAMMYs will be announced Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. See the full list of key dates and deadlines for the 2025 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards, below.

Key dates for the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season are as follows:

Sept. 16, 2023 – Aug. 30, 2024
Product Eligibility Period
The period by which recordings are submitted for GRAMMY consideration. All releases must be available for sale, via general distribution, to the public by this date and through at least the date of the current year’s voting deadline (final ballot) to be eligible for the 2025 GRAMMY Awards.

July 8, 2024 – Aug. 23, 2024
Media Company Registration Period
Media companies must apply for registration with the Recording Academy to submit recordings.

July 17, 2024 – Aug. 30, 2024
Online Entry Period
All eligible recordings must be entered prior to the close of the Online Entry Period, regardless of the public release date.

Oct. 4, 2024 – Oct. 15, 2024
First Round Voting
First Round Voting determines all the GRAMMY nominees for each GRAMMY Awards year.

Nov. 8, 2024
Nominees Announced for the 2025 GRAMMY Awards
Announcing the official nominees list for the 2025 GRAMMYs.

Dec. 12, 2024 – Jan. 3, 2025
Final Round Voting
Determines the GRAMMY winners across all categories revealed on GRAMMY night.

Feb. 2, 2025
2025 GRAMMY Awards
Music's Biggest Night, recognizing excellence in the recording arts and sciences.

This February, the 2024 GRAMMYs proved to be an epic, history-making night. Women dominated the 2024 GRAMMYs: For the second time in four years, women won in the majority of the General Field Categories, winning Album Of The Year (Taylor Swift), Song Of The Year (Billie Eilish), Record Of The Year (Miley Cyrus), and Best New Artist (Victoria Monét). Elsewhere, Taylor Swift broke the all-time record for most GRAMMY wins in the Album Of The Year Category after winning for Midnights. Tyla won the first-ever GRAMMY Award for Best African Music Performance, one of three new GRAMMY Categories that debuted this year.

The 2024 GRAMMYs also celebrated the return of music legends, including Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell and Celine Dion, and ushered in new music icons-in-the-making like Victoria Monét, Samara Joy and Tyla. Relive some of the must-see moments and memorable, heartwarming acceptance speeches from the 2024 GRAMMYs. And rewatch all of the performances and key highlights from the 2024 GRAMMYs all year long on Live.GRAMMY.com.

Learn more about the upcoming 2025 GRAMMY Awards season and the annual GRAMMY Awards process.

GRAMMY News, Performances & Highlights

Photo of the Music Educator Award trophy
Music Educator Award

Photo Courtesy of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum

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215 Quarterfinalists Announced For The 2025 Music Educator Award

GRAMMYs/May 8, 2024 - 01:10 pm

Today, the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum announced a total of 215 music teachers as quarterfinalists for the 2025 Music Educator Award. This prestigious award is given to current educators—from kindergarten through college in both public and private schools—who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who advocate for the ongoing inclusion of music education in schools. This year’s quarterfinalists hail from 202 cities and were chosen from more than 2,400 initial nominations. Additionally, 159 legacy applicants from 2024 are also eligible for this year’s award.

Semi-finalists for the 2025 Music Educator Award will be announced later this year. The ultimate recipient will be celebrated during GRAMMY Week 2025.

A collaborative effort between the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, the Music Educator Award invites nominations from students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers may also nominate themselves, and those nominated are invited to complete a more detailed application.

Each year, one recipient is selected from among 10 finalists and recognized for their profound impact on students' lives. The 11th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 67th GRAMMY Awards and participate in various GRAMMY Week events. The nine other finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Additionally, fifteen semi-finalists will be awarded a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

Read More: 8 Artists Who Were Inspired By Their Teachers: Rihanna, Adele, Jay-Z & More

The Music Educator Award program, including the honorariums and matching school grants, is supported by the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation this year. Additional backing comes from the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association, which support the program through outreach to their members.

Learn more about the Music Educator Award and see the full list of the 2025 Music Educator Award quarterfinalists and legacy applicants below:

QUARTERFINALISTS

Name School City State
Bryant Adler   Alcoa Elementary School Alcoa Tennessee
Patrick Aguayo   Rolling Hills Middle School Los Gatos California
Chrsitopher Alberts   School Without Walls Washington  Washington, D.C.
Bobi-Jean Alexander   Seneca Valley Senior High School Harmony  Pennsylvania
Erin Althen   Westhill High School Syracuse New York
Kathleen Amabile   Elk Lake Junior-Senior High School Springville Pennsylvania
Michael Antmann   Freedom High School Orlando Florida
Amanda Babcock   Merrimack Valley Middle School Penacook New Hampshire
Eric Bable   Crestview High School Columbiana Ohio
Natalie Baker   Missoula International School Missoula Montana
Jean-Paul Balmat   Mission Bay High School San Diego California
Russell Balusek   Edna High School Edna Texas
Lee Anne Barnes   Thomas Street Elementary School Tupelo Mississippi
Makynzie Barton   Elkton High School Elkton Maryland
Andrew Beasley   Pearl High School Pearl Mississippi
Daniel Beilman   Oak Park School Sarasota Florida
Andrew Bennett   Fredonia High School Fredonia New York
David Billingsley   DeLaSalle High School Minneapolis Minnesota
Stephen Blanco   Las Vegas High School Las Vegas Nevada
Mike Bogle   Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus Dallas Texas
Sarah Boline   Johns Hill Magnet School Decatur Illinois
Cherie Bowe   Pascagoula High School Pascagoula Mississippi
Nathan Bowman   Southeast Middle School Salisbury North Carolina
Tamiko Bridges   Laurel High School Laurel Mississippi
Justin Britt   Kingston Public Schools Kingston Oklahoma
Korey Bruno   Westfield High School Westfield Massachusetts
Richard Butler   Jack Britt High School Fayetteville North Carolina
Jason Canfield   Prescott High School  Prescott  Wisconsin
Clayton Capello   Pettus ISD  Pettus Texas
Dr. John Carlisle   Hannan JSHS Ashton West Virginia
Taylor Cash   Albertville High School Albertville Alabama
Barry Chesky   Dulaney High School Timonium Maryland
Ethan Chessin   Camas High School Camas Washington
Ernesta Chicklowski   Roosevelt Elementary School Tampa Florida
Donna Clark   Miguel Juarez Middle School Waukegan Illinois
Jeremy Cole   Southern Middle School Somerset Kentucky
James Cooney   Mayville High School Mayville, WI Wisconsin
Paul Corn   Susan E. Wagner High School Staten Island New York
Kevin Croxton   Oliver Springs Elementary School Van Buren Arkansas
Brandon Czubachowski   Spring Valley Hall High School Spring Valley Illinois
Mike D'Errico   Albright College Reading Pennsylvania
Nicole Davidson   Susan E. Wiley Elementary School Copiague New York
Andy Davis   Reavis High School Burbank Illinois
Kelly DeHaan   Mountain Ridge High School Herriman Utah
David Dehnet   Oral Roberts University Tulsa Oklahoma
Joe DeLisi   Chisago Lakes High School  Lindstrom  Minnesota
Jesse Dooley   Millbury Jr./Sr. High School Millbury Massachusetts
Lawrence Dubill   Hamburg High School Hamburg New York
Bridget Duffy-Ulrich   Oshkosh North High School Oshkosh Wisconsin
Jared Duncan   DeKalb School of the Arts Avondale Estates Georgia
Nicole Durkin   Argo Community High School Summit  Illinois
Kaley Eaton   Cornish College of the Arts Seattle Washington
Cindy Ellis   Miami Arts Studio 6-12 at Zelda Glazer Miami Florida
Clerida Eltime   WHIN Music Community Charter School New York New York
Grady Emmert   Lake Buena Vista High School Orlando Florida
Gerardo Escobar   Riverside Middle School El Paso Texas
Regan Eudy   Central Elementary School Albemarle North Carolina
Kevin Fallon   C.W. Worthington Middle School Haslet Texas
Jason Falvo   Waynesburg Central Elementary Waynesburg Pennsylvania
Mike Fedyszyn   Riverview Middle School Plymouth Wisconsin
Daniel Ferreira   Klein Intermediate School Houston Texas
Jill Fetty   Clear Falls High School League City Texas
Joe Finnegan   DC Everest Senior High School Weston Wisconsin
Joseph Flores   Mesa Middle School Roswell New Mexico
Jasmine Fripp   KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School Nashville  Tennessee
Sarah Fulton   Kings Mountain High School Kings Mountain  North Carolina
Stefanie Gardner   Glendale Community College Glendale Arizona
Ryan Geary   Sanford High School Sanford Maine
Emily Golden   East Burke High School Connelly Springs North Carolina
Rob Goldman   Westwood High School Westwood Massachusetts
Alex Grimm   F.J. Reitz High School Evansville Indiana
Melanie Gunn   Whitman Middle School Seattle Washington
Daniel Gutierrez   Nixa High School Nixa  Missouri
Holly Haffner   Grissom Middle School Sterling Heights Michigan
Michael Hamann   West Ottawa High School Holland Michigan
Tony Aaron Hambrick   Jessye Norman School of the Arts Augusta Georgia
Cordara Harper   Grambling State University  Grambling Louisiana
Vernon Harris   Pulaski Heights Middle School Little Rock Arkansas
Sarah Hart   Islander Middle School Mercer Island Washington
Kellie Harvey   Fruitland Primary School Fruitland Maryland
Toby Harwell   Wiseburn Middle School Hawthorne California
Rachael Heffner   Brookhaven Innovation Academy Norcross Georgia
Bobby Helms   Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson Mississippi
Bernie Hendricks, Jr.   Ocoee High School  Ocoee  Florida
Christopher Henke   Kittatinny Regional High School Newton New Jersey
Brian Henson   Walnut Grove High School Prosper Texas
Samuel Hjort   Mission High School Mission Texas
Matt Howe   Cathedral City High School Cathedral City California
Cole Hunt   Burchfield Elementary School  Oneida Tennessee
Andria Hyden   Bedichek Middle School Austin Texas
Brandi Jason Liberty High School Eldersburg Maryland
Sonja Jewell Loudoun Country Day School Leesburg Virginia
Jennifer Jimenez South Miami Sr. High School Miami Florida
John Johnson Boyd County High School  Ashland Kentucky
Amir Jones Thomas W. Harvey High School Painesville Ohio
Brian Joyce South Jones High School Ellisville Mississippi
Wimberly Kennedy Red Bank High School  Chattanooga Tennessee
Larry Kennon Troy Christian Junior High/High School Troy Ohio
Joshua Krohn Brent Elementary School Washington Washington, D.C.
Erin Kronzek Unity School Delray Beach Florida
Sarah Labrie Lexington High School Lexington Massachusetts
J Alan Landers Lakenheath High School Apo Armed Forces
Eric Laprade The College of New Jersey Ewing New Jersey
Samantha Leali Shenango Junior/Senior High School New Castle Pennsylvania
Richelle Lenoir Global Leadership Academy High School Jacksonville Florida
Lindsay Linderman Murray LaSaine Montessori School Charleston South Carolina
Katanna Linn Highlands Ranch High School  Highlands Ranch  Colorado
Candace Love August Boeger Middle School San Jose California
Christopher Lubken Robert Service High School Anchorage Alaska
Ryan Mack P.S. 10 Magnet School of Math, Science, and Design Technology Brooklyn New York
Rebecca MacLeod University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Champaign Illinois
Adrian Maclin Cordova High School Memphis Tennessee
Cyndi Mancini Montour High School McKees Rocks Pennsylvania
Kate Margrave Pine Creek High School Colorado Springs Colorado
Matt Martindale Shelby County High School  Columbiana Alabama
Abigail Martinez Erie Middle School Erie Colorado
Kathleen McCarthy Attleboro High School Attleboro Massachusetts
Leigh Ann McClain Griffin Middle School The Colony Texas
Erin McConnell Camillus Middle School Camillus New York
Lawrence McCrobie Valley High School Louisville Kentucky
Jay McCulley Sunset Middle School Brentwood  Tennessee
Angela McKenna Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast High School Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Jonathan R.P. McTier III Alief Hastings High School  Houston  Texas
Kimberly Meader Green Bay Preble High School Green Bay Wisconsin
Jessie Mersinger New Brunswick High School New Brunswick  New Jersey
Adam Mewhorter Southmoore High School Moore Oklahoma
James Minnix Central Connecticut State University New Britian Connecticut
Jake Mitchell Hebron Middle School Shepherdsville Kentucky
William J. Molineaux The Osceola County School for the Arts Kissimmee Florida
Darren Motamedy Walter Johnson International Academy   Las Vegas Nevada
Jonathan Mracko Postlethwait Middle School Camden Wyoming Delaware
Curtis Mulvenon Shawnee Mission West High School Overland Park Kansas
Elizabeth Nardone EM Stanton School Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Michelle Nielsen Diamond Canyon School Anthem Arizona
Kelly Nieman Alden Intermediate School Alden New York
Mallory Norton Weddington High School Matthews North Carolina
Heather Orr Montgomery High School Montgomery Texas
Augustine Ortiz Edgar Allen Poe Middle School  San Antonio  Texas
Jeremy Overbeck Century High School Bismarck North Dakota
Andrew Pahos John Sevier Middle School Kingsport Tennessee
Lindsey Parker Laguna Beach High School Laguna Beach California
Andrew Pease Hartwick College Oneonta New York
TJ Pelanek Underwood Public School  Underwood Minnesota
Justin Peterson Middle School 67Q Louis Pasteur Little Neck New York
Anthony Pickard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School Lithonia Georgia
Preston Pierce Plano West Senior High School  Plano Texas
Thomas Pierre Rosa L. Parks ES Hyattsville Maryland
Chris Pierson Chaparral High School Las Vegas Nevada
Jonathan Powell West End High School  Walnut Grove  Alabama
Courtney Powers Hoboken Charter School Hoboken New Jersey
Briony Price Gramercy Arts High School New York City New York
Neal Raskin Big Foot Union High School Walworth Wisconsin
Marc Ratner Mineola High School Garden City Park New York
Tess Remy-Schumacher University of Central Oklahoma  Edmond Oklahoma
Stephen Rew Raymore-Peculiar High School Peculiar Missouri
Cindy Reynolds Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School  Shawnee  Kansas
Lou Ribar Lenape Elementary Ford City Pennsylvania
Dianna Richardson Cleveland School of the Arts Cleveland Ohio
Michael Richardson Perry Meridian High School Indianapolis Indiana
Leslie Riedel Capital High School Charleston  West Virginia
Adam Robinson Norwood High School Norwood  Ohio
James Robinson Elkin High School Elkin North Carolina
Nathan Rodahl Port Angeles High School Port Angeles Washington
Darren Rodgers St. Augustine High School New Orleans Louisiana
Lenae Rose Morgan County High School Madison Georgia
Stewart Rosen Walter Reed Middle School North Hollywood California
David Roth Lakeside High School Ashtabula Ohio
Seth Rowoldt Annunciation Orthodox School Houston Texas
Stefanie Sagaro Academy for Innovative Education Charter School Miami Springs Florida
Maura Saint Blackhawk High School Beaver Falls Pennsylvania
Mike Scott Columbia Basin College Pasco Washington
Kelly Seymour Ballston Spa Middle/High School Ballston Spa New York
Natalie Sheeler Sturgis Charter Public School Hyannis Massachusetts
Matthew Shephard Meridian Early College High School Sanford Michigan
Aleshia Shouse Christian Academy of Indiana New Albany Indiana
Alex Sieira Harrison High School Harrison  New Jersey
Adria Smith Marblehead Community Charter Public School Marblehead Massachusetts
Anthony Spano Culver City High School Culver City California
William Steadman General McLane High School Edinboro Pennsylvania
Mike Steep Parkway Northeast Middle School Creve Coeur Missouri
Katie Stephens Charles D. Owen High School Black Mountain North Carolina
Evelyn Stohlman Bishop Shanahan High School Downingtown Pennsylvania
Kokoe Tanaka-Suwan Parsons Memorial & Purchase Elementary Schools Harrison New York
Jameelah Taylor Trevor Day School New York City New York
Brian Teed Wakeland High School Frisco Texas
Josh Tharp West Fairmont Middle School and Rivesville Elementary/Middle School Fairmont West Virginia
Jennifer Theisen-Gray William M. Colmer Middle School Pascagoula Mississippi
Mark Thomas Upper Perkiomen Pennsburg Pennsylvania
Zachary Thomas Ledyard High School Ledyard Connecticut
Alex Underwood Hays High School Hays Kansas
Craig Uppercue Volusia County Schools Daytona Beach Florida
Lindsay Vasko Walnut Grove High School Prosper Texas
Allen Venezio East River High School Orlando Florida
Felicia Villa Point Pleasant Borough High School Point Pleasant New Jersey
James Villegas Grossmont High School El Cajon California
Rachel Waddell Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado
Meghan Wagner Auburn Riverside High School Auburn Washington
Bryan Waites Clements High School Sugar Land Texas
Donald Walter Northwest Guilford High School and Northwest Guilford Middle School Greensboro North Carolina
Victoria Warnet Columbus State University Columbus Georgia
Christopher Weddel Fremont High School Fremont Nebraska
Elliot Weeks Seattle Preparatory School Seattle Washington
Kayla Werlin Longmeadow High School Longmeadow Massachusetts
Bryce Werntz Oak Hill High School Oak Hill Ohio
Robert West Clark High School Las Vegas Nevada
Aria Westbrook Hawfields Middle School Mebane North Carolina
Kimberly Whitehead Sikeston High School Sikeston Missouri
Jeremy Williams Marrero Middle School Marrero Louisiana
Doretha Williams GEO Next Generation High School Baton Rouge Louisiana
Kelly Winovich Northgate Middle/Senior High School Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Kate Wisbey Charlottesville Catholic School Charlottesville  Virginia
Elise Witt Global Village Project Decatur Georgia
Scott Woodard West Virginia State University Institute West Virginia
Amber Yates Thompson Middle School Alabaster Alabama
Christopher-Rey Yraola Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts Los Angeles California

LEGACY APPLICANTS

Name School City State  
Bruce Adams Sam Houston High School San Antonio Texas  
Casie Adams Martinsburg High School Martinsburg West Virginia
Miguel Aguiar Southwest High School San Antonio Texas
Dawn Amthor Wallkill Senior High School Wallkill New York
Christopher Andrews Hephzibah High School Hephzibah Georgia
Jeanne Andrews Petway Elementary School  Vineland  New Jersey
Justin Antos Dwight D. Eisenhower High School Blue Island Illinois
Javier Arau New York Jazz Academy New York New York
Timothy Arnold Orono High School Long Lake Minnesota
Elizabeth Baker Mary Martin Elementary Weatherford  Texas
Andre Barnes Science Park High School Newark New Jersey
Jeremy Bartunek Greenbriar School Northbrook Illinois
Adem Birson New York University  New York  New York
Benjamin Blasko Lipscomb University Nashville Tennessee
Amanda Blevins Tri-Valley High School Dresden Ohio
Susan Boddie Valdosta State University Valdosta Georgia
Adrian Bonner Lancaster High School Lancaster Texas
Steve Browne Nashville Community High School Nashville Illinois
Ryan Bulgarelli Williamsport Area High School Williamsport Pennsylvania
Cathryn Burt East Newton High School Granby Missouri
James Byrn, Jr. Maconaquah High School Bunker Hill Indiana
Mary Catherine Campbell Seven Pines Elementary School Sandston Virginia
Helen Capehart Bridgeport High School Bridgeport Texas
Marcos Carreras Conservatory of the Arts Springfield Massachusetts
Roger Chagnon Westfield Academy and Central School Westfield New York
Kristopher Chandler Gautier High School Gautier Mississippi
Jeff Chang Decatur High School Federal Way Washington
Travis Coakley William Carey University  Hattiesburg Mississippi
Vanessa Cobb Montgomery Central High School Cunningham  Tennessee
Trish Conover  Community Middle School  Plainsboro New Jersey
John Contreras Pueblo High School Tucson Arizona
Daniel Cook Ithaca College Ithaca New York
Kyle Cook Western Branch Middle School Chesapeake Virginia
Travis Cook Plymouth Christian Academy  Canton Michigan
Andrew Cote Merrimack College North Andover Massachusetts
Drew Cowell Belleville East High School Belleville Illinois
Cory Joy Craig Benton Intermediate School Benton Louisiana
Matthew Cunningham Brockton High School Brockton Massachusetts
Isaac Daniel III Stax Music Academy Memphis Tennessee
Jackie Deen Pottsboro High School Pottsboro Texas
Matthew Denman  Classen School of Advanced Studies Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Ryan Diefenderfer Paradise Valley High School Phoenix Arizona
Jennifer DiVasto Pennridge School District Perkasie Pennsylvania
Antoine Dolberry P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School Bronx New York
George Dragoo Stevens High School Rapid City South Dakota
Marisa Drake Patuxent High School Lusby Maryland
Kathleen Dudley Andrew Cooke Magnet School Waikegan Illinois
Jonathan Eising James Hubert Blake High School Silver Spring Maryland
Jonathan Eldridge Weston Public Schools Weston Massachusetts
Carol Evans Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley Pennsylvania
Anthony Ferreira Suffield High School West Suffield Connecticut
Tamara Frazier North Valleys High School Reno Nevada
J.D. Frizzell Briarcrest Christian School Eads Tennessee
Chesteron Frye St. Helena College & Career Academy Denham Springs Louisiana
Matt Gerry Salina South Middle School Salina Kansas
Anna Girling Sebastopol Attendance Center Sebastopol Mississippi
Serena Gorham Weare Middle School Weare New Hampshire
Kylie Griffin Dozier Elementary Erath Louisiana
Jessica Gronberg Hawkes Bluff Elementary   Davie Florida
Nathaniel Gunter Greer High School Greer South Carolina
Amy Hannequin Bethel Middle School Bethel Connecticut
Crystal Harding Ypsilanti Community High School Ypsilanti Michigan
Diane Harrigan Bloom High School Chicago Heights Illinois
Toye Harris Miami High School Miami Oklahoma
Chris Hayslette Bridgeport Middle School  Bridgeport West Virginia
Colette Hebert  Yonkers Public Schools  Yonkers New York
Martha Heise Seventh Street School Oil City Pennsylvania
Jonathan Helmick Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock Pennsylvania
Joel Hill Velma Jackson High School & Shirley Camden Mississippi
Elaine Holmes Comsewogue High School Port Jefferson Station New York
Victor Iapalucci Phillip Barbour High School Philippi West Virginia
Devin James Salem High School Conyers Georgia
Heidi Jaye Daniel Webster Elementary School New Rochelle New York
Jamie Jones Manzano Day School Albuquerque New Mexico
Daniel Joosten Edgerton High School Edgerton Wisconsin
Brett Keith Northern Bedford County Middle/High  Loysburg Pennsylvania
Deonte Kennedy Craigmont High School Memphis Tennessee
Lou Kitchner Bedford Middle School Westport Connecticut
Michael Kiyoi San Marcos High School Santa Barbara California
Kate Klotz Monarch High School Louisville Colorado
Heidi Kohler Ypsilanti Community High School East Amherst New York
Michael Lapomardo Shrewsbury High School  Shrewsbury Massachusetts
Morgan Lentino Otter Creek Elementary Elgin Illinois
Lisa Linde Newton South High School Newton Massachusetts
Cole Lundquist  Gloucester High School Gloucester Massachusetts
Marci Malone DeAmbrose Lincoln Southwest High School Lincoln Nebraska
Bob Mamminga St. Francis High School Wheaton Illinois
Jayson Martinez Arts High School Newark New Jersey
Kevin McDonald Wellesley High School  Wellesley Massachusetts
Larrian Menifee Ball High School Galveston Texas
Kim Mettert East Noble Middle School Kendallville Indiana
Natalie Moore Sullivan High School Sullivan Missouri
Coty Raven Morris Portland State University  Portland Oregon
Brian Nabors Shelby High School Shelby Ohio
Jenny Neff University of the Arts Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Cassandra Nelson Mountaineer Middle School  Morgantown West Virginia
Trevor Nicholas Nicholas Senn High School Chicago Illinois
Sam Noyce Thomas Jefferson Jr. High School Kearns Utah
Tim O’Donnell Ephrata High School Ephrata Washington
Shakia Paylor City Neighbors High School Baltimore Maryland
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remembering harry belafonte performing live 1958
Harry Belafonte performs on television in 1958

Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

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Remembering Harry Belafonte’s Monumental Legacy: A Life In Music, A Passion For Activism

American icon Harry Belafonte passed away on April 25 at age 96. Throughout his legendary musical and acting career, Belafonte broke barriers and demonstrated a commendable commitment to equality.

GRAMMYs/Apr 25, 2023 - 10:48 pm

An American icon whose outsize influence spanned generations and blazed trails, Harry Belafonte’s death at the age of 96 marks the end of a legendary life and career that shone in not only music, but social issues and the culture at large. 

A two-time GRAMMY winner and 11-time career nominee, Belafonte's impact on the Recording Academy has lasted as long as the organization itself. The artist earned a nomination at the first-ever GRAMMY Awards in 1959 for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance (for his album Belafonte Sings the Blues). He’d win three years later for Best Performance- Folk for "Swing Dat Hammer." His other win came in the form of a GRAMMY for Best Folk Recording for An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, and three of his recordings are in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.

 "Harry Belafonte has made an immeasurable impact on the music community, our country and our world,” says Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "Through his music and his activism in the civil rights movement, Belafonte has used his voice to break racial barriers in America since the ‘50s. It’s been an honor to celebrate his influence on our society throughout his impactful career."

Over nearly a century of life, Belafonte left a significant impact that has resonated with common audiences and up to the highest echelons of arts and politics. As news of his passing spread across the world, remembrances, praise and thanks appeared on social media. 

Quincy Jones, one of many luminaries celebrating Belafonte's legacy today, remembered, "From our time coming up, struggling to make it in New York in the '50s with our brother Sidney Poitier, to our work on 'We Are The World' & everything in between, you were the standard bearer for what it meant to be an artist and activist." 

 "He inspired me so much personally," said John Legend, recalling Belafonte’s immense impact. "I learned at his feet basically about all of the great work he’s done over the years, and if you think about what it means to be an artist and an activist he was literally the epitome of what that was."  Former President Barack Obama heralded Belafonte as a "barrier-breaking legend" who transformed "the arts while also standing up for civil rights. And he did it all with his signature smile and style."

A Trailblazing Artist Who Never Simply Toed The Line

In a 1998 "American Masters" interview for PBS,  Belafonte mused about his life and legacy, noting, "One way or another, the essence of life is, in fact, the journey itself." 

If that’s the case, Belafonte’s momentous path from his humble Harlem, New York youth to a successful club act, singing star and champion of equality amounts to an astonishing rise that no other Black artist had ever experienced before. His velvety voice and penchant for singing earworm songs along with a relaxed style endeared him to his initial '50s-era audiences.

Yet Belafonte was no mere one-note easy-listening act; he helped popularize calypso, was essential in bringing folk music to the mainstream, and also successfully recorded blues and even novelty songs. Sometimes his music was bombastic ("Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora)"), while on other occasions deftly understated ("A Hole in the Bucket"). Early hit "Matilda" begins with Belafonte happily whistling. "Hey! Ma-Til-Da," he cooly croons.

Influenced by his nightclub act, Belafonte's 1956 album Calypso was the first LP to sell one million copies — a stunning achievement for a genre not widely heard before. (As a result, the Library of Congress later added it to the National Recording Registry of significant American work.) Calypso was marketed as "not just another presentation of island songs," and its liner notes can be read as a reflection of the often complex role race and fame played in Belafonte's life.

Calypso's "songs [are] ranging in mood from brassy gaiety to wistful sadness, from tender love to heroic largeness," its liner notes read at the time, helping sell a fresh genre to a new audience. "And through it all runs the irrepressible rhythms of a people who have not lost the ability to laugh at themselves."

Throughout his career, Belafonte deftly navigated the line between mainstream hits and songs with a deeper meaning. When it came to recording "The Banana Boat Song" — the instantly recognizable sing-along party tune from Calypso, which originated as a traditional Jamaican folk song —  Belafonte told "American Masters" that the song was a "conscious choice." Singing its memorable "Day-o!" refrain was "beautiful, powerful" and "a classic work song that spoke about struggles of the people who were underpaid and the victims of colonialism. In the song, it talked about our aspirations for a better way of life."

Aside from his singing career, Belafonte also dominated Broadway. In 1954, he won a Tony Award for his role in "John Murray Anderson’s Almanac," a musical revue. He also dabbled in film, from his 1953 debut to Spike Lee’s 2018 movie BlacKkKlansman.

He remained humble, if not slightly casual, about his success. "I had no problem being thrust into the world of stardom because I never thought about it," Belafonte told ABC News in 1981. "Nowhere in my boyhood dreams was I thinking one day I’d be in Hollywood, one day I’d be on Broadway, one day I’d be making an album that was successful.  I was quite content, as most Blacks were in that period, to practice my artform and hopefully find a constituency somewhere in the world because the larger dream eluded all of us."

 A Lifetime Of Activism

As his fame grew, Belafonte’s penchant for activism collided with a fast-changing America that was confronting the oppression of the '50s and reacting to the turbulence of the '60s. As a result, Belafonte's impressive musical legacy will forever be intertwined with his passion for activism.  

Belafonte rubbed shoulders with the titans of his time: He attended John F. Kennedy’s inaugural gala (an invitation extended by Frank Sinatra), received inspiration from artist and activist Paul Robeson, he became a face of the civil rights movement alongside close friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 In fact, it was Dr. King who initiated the meeting with Belafonte. "He was coming to New York to speak to the religious community, the ecumenical community at the Abyssinian Baptist Church," Belafonte recalled to "PBS Newshour" in 2018 of their first encounter. "As a young Black artist on the rise [at the time], I began to make a bit of noise on my own terms. I began to violate the codes of racial separation. I understood the evils of racism and rebelled from my youth. He was 24. I was 26."

That confab began a friendship that would help shape the civil rights movement at large. Belafonte participated in the Freedom Rides and March on Washington, and even hosted "The Tonight Show" for a week in 1968 where Dr. King was one of his guests. The singer took King’s assassination as an exhortation, and committed fully to the quest for equity; he remained a passionate activist for decades.  

Musically, that passion included an urge to help the plight of people in war-stricken Africa; his idea for a benefit single resulted in "We Are the World." The smash swept the GRAMMYs in 1986, winning  Record Of The Year, Song Of The  Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Music Video, Short Form. In recent years he founded the social justice organization Sankofa, released the book My Song: A Memoir and was the subject of the documentary Sing Your Song. Last year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

"(He was a) shining example of how to use your platform to make change in the world," said Questlove on Instagram"If there is one lesson we can learn from him it is, ‘What can I do to help mankind?’" 

He added, "Thank you Harry Belafonte!" 

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