The Recording Academy hosted its 25th Grammys on the Hill event in Washington, D.C., from April 21 to 23, emphasizing protections for music creators amid AI advancements. Lawmakers and artists discussed legislation like the NO FAKES Act to safeguard voices and likenesses. The gathering included awards, advocacy meetings and panels on the future of music.
The three-day event drew over 200 Recording Academy members, industry leaders and members of Congress to The Hamilton Live in downtown Washington, D.C. On April 21, the Grammys on the Hill Awards honored Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) for their support of the NO FAKES Act, which aims to protect against unauthorized AI replicas of voices and likenesses. Sen. Coons stated, “Today, too many artists have had their intellectual property, likenesses and livelihoods stolen by online pirates and AI artists.” Rep. Salazar added, “Protecting the voices, rights and livelihoods of artists is more important than ever.” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, noted that the initiative ensures music creators remain central amid technological changes like AI. “Grammys on the Hill represents the core of the Recording Academy’s year-round work to advocate for music people,” Mason said. On April 22, Advocacy Day saw artists including Durand Bernarr, Grace Potter, Israel Houghton, Maggie Rose and Molly Tuttle meet lawmakers such as Sens. Alex Padilla, Bernie Sanders and Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Reps. Darrell Issa, Erin Houchin and others to push the NO FAKES Act, TRAIN Act and CLEAR Act. A roundtable featured Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch, followed by a reception with a performance by Grammy winner Bernarr and a $10,000 donation to Howard University from Amazon Music. The event wrapped on April 23 with the Future Forum, including a keynote by Mason and YouTube's Lyor Cohen on AI challenges, a panel on music education led by Dr. Chelsey Green and discussions on AI in studios.
