Songs generated entirely by AI won’t be eligible to win Grammys.
The Recording Academy established new rules for the 2024 Grammy Awards in response to the rise of AI music. The Recording Academy allowed AI-assisted songs to be eligible for Grammys but stressed the need for human contributions.
“A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category,” the Recording Academy proclaimed.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. elaborated on the AI rules in an interview with the Associated Press.
“Here’s the super easy, headline statement: AI or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination,” he said. “What’s not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion.”
He added, “As long as the human is contributing in a more than de minimis amount, which to us means a meaningful way, they are and will always be considered for a nomination or a win. We don’t want to see technology replace human creativity. We want to make sure technology is enhancing, embellishing, or additive to human creativity. So that’s why we took this particular stand in this award cycle.”
Mason noted how a song with AI-generated vocals is not eligible for performance categories, but the track is eligible for songwriting categories if a person wrote the lyrics.
The next Grammys are scheduled to take place on February 4, 2024. The ceremony will be held at Cryto.com Arena in Los Angeles and air live on CBS.