In less than two weeks, the Recording Academy will be hosting GRAMMYs On The Hill to celebrate supporters of the music community and fight for creators' rights on Capitol Hill.
During GRAMMYs On The Hill, the Recording Academy and its artist advocates will be pushing for support on a number of issues that will protect music makers, but one issue in particular — freedom of expression — will be a primary focus for the day.
Throughout the last year, the Recording Academy has spearheaded efforts to protect the First Amendment rights of artists nationwide by working to limit the use of an artist's lyrics — among other forms of creative expression — as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Since the 1990s, there have been hundreds of cases where prosecutors used lyrics as criminal evidence in court against an artist defendant. This chilling practice is most commonly used against rap lyrics and rap artists — a genre that has been historically subject to bias in the judicial system.
As a result, rap artists are being targeted for their music. This usage of lyrics as criminal evidence is an attack on artistic expression and a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.
While this issue has mainly been concentrated in the rap community, this precedent threatens the freedom of expression in all genres — and across other art forms, unless a strict limit is imposed on the use of creative expression as evidence.
On Advocacy Day, GRAMMY nominees, winners, and music professionals will visit lawmakers to advocate in support of legislation advancing music creators’ rights. 🎶
➡️ Learn more about #GRAMMYsOnTheHill and how it empowers the voices behind the music: https://t.co/j9NxHFifNM pic.twitter.com/8z99VF42JG
— GRAMMY Advocacy (@GRAMMYAdvocacy) April 12, 2023
At this year's GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day, the Recording Academy will utilize their meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to elevate this issue and urge Congress to take action against the use of lyrics as criminal evidence by supporting the Restoring Artistic Protection Act — a bill that was introduced last Congress by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) with help from the Recording Academy.
The Restoring Artistic Protection Act — the first of its kind at the federal level — would not only protect artists from the misuse of their lyrics in court, but would apply to all types of creative expression: poetry, dance, literature, film, and more.
Although it has yet to be reintroduced this Congress, the Recording Academy anticipates a bill to be reintroduced this month. While the bill is relatively new at the federal level, the Recording Academy has already seen success advancing similar legislation in a number of states.
On Sept. 30, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act into law alongside Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. at a virtual bill signing.
This year, the Academy is working closely to advance similar legislation across five different states, including in Missouri where HB 353 recently advanced to the House floor for a vote and in New York, which passed a version of the bill through the Senate in 2022.
The Recording Academy is dedicated to resolving this issue nationwide and is thrilled to head to Capitol Hill to continue the fight for the rights of all music creators on April 27th — and advance the Restoring Artistic Protection Act.
