#GrammySoMale backlash prompts Recording Academy to appoint task force to address gender gap

In a revolutionary announcement, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow has said the gender disparity in the music industry will now be strongly addressed and a new task force will be appointed to eradicate the imbalance among the male and female artists. [caption id=“attachment_4330097” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  A still from Grammy Awards 2018. AP[/caption] At the recent Grammy Awards ceremony, the women artists could win just 17 awards out of 86. Portnow issued a statement on Thursday that read, “Every aspect of what we do as an organisation and identify where we can do more to overcome the explicit barriers and unconscious biases that impede female advancement in the music community," as quoted by The Guardian. His statement said that the recording academy will have its own investigations into each matter raised by the artists and will take an independent decision in order to ensure gender equality, as stated in the same report. Initially, a group of female artists wrote an open letter to the Recording Academy arguing the gender disparity present in the industry (#GrammySoMale). Caron Veazey, the manager of Pharrell Williams wrote, “We do not await your welcome into the fraternity. We do not have to sing louder, jump higher or be nicer to prove ourselves," as stated in the same report. A number of pop artists like Pink, Lorde, Charli XCX, Katy Perry, Sheryl Crow, Haim, Tegan and Sara and Vanessa Carlton have severely criticised the Grammys and Neil Portnow. While Bruno Mars became the most award-winning artiste with six awards in his bag, in the 60th Grammy Awards last month, SZA was the most nominated female artist with five nominations but eventually got none.