On Oct. 8, the Recording Academy partnered with Louisiana Music Partners and the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) to host Music Swings Votes, a mayoral candidate forum focused on New Orleans' vibrant music economy. Held three days before the mayoral primary, the forum gave City Council Vice President Helena Moreno, State Sen. Royce Duplessis, and City Councilmember Oliver Thomas an opportunity to share their visions for supporting the city's artist community.
Moderated by Recording Academy National Trustee Ashley Shabankareh, Recording Academy Memphis Chapter President and Louisiana Music Partners Vice President Tim Kappel, and Memphis Chapter Governor and MaCCNO Board President Nate Cameron Jr., the forum covered critical issues including fair pay and healthcare access for local musicians, reforms to the permitting process, and Gov. Jeff Landry's recent elimination of the state's sound recording tax incentive, which was designed to strengthen Louisiana's recording industry and expand job opportunities for music professionals. Each candidate outlined their plans for bolstering the city's creative economy.
City Council Vice President Moreno highlighted her plan to create a dedicated team within the Office of Economic Development to focus on the creative sector and generate new economic opportunities in music and the arts. She highlighted her past efforts: She established the Recreation and Culture Grant Fund, which she hopes to expand from $7 million to $10 million if elected, and helped pass a guaranteed pay minimum for musicians performing at city-funded events. Moreno also said she plans to prioritize modernizing the city's Office of Safety and Permits.
A New Orleans native, State Sen. Duplessis underscored the importance of a mayor who is "in tune" with the 'city's cultural identity. He called for the mayor's office to take an active leadership role in promoting the city's music ecosystem by involving artists in policymaking. Citing his frustration with Gov. Landry's veto of a bipartisan recording tax incentive, Duplessis suggested New Orleans could create its own local incentives to nurture future homegrown success stories like Cash Money Records and No Limit.
City Councilmember Thomas focused on integrating New Orleans' cultural heritage into education, advocating for stronger music and arts curricula to instill early appreciation for the city's traditions. He also emphasized the need to highlight cultural activity beyond the French Quarter — especially in the 9th Ward and Uptown — and supported exploring a city office for music like Film New Orleans. Thomas noted, however, that the city must first build the "thought leadership" necessary to treat music as a viable economic industry.
From fair pay to tax incentives, the policies discussed by the candidates directly impact the city's musicians and creative workers who shape New Orleans' cultural identity. Music Swings Votes underscored how vital it is for local leaders to understand and address the issues impacting their music communities, and the Recording Academy looks forward to facilitating similar local programming across the country in the future that puts artists center stage .
Editor's Note: On Oct. 11, Helena Moreno won 55 percent of the vote in the 2025 New Orleans mayoral election, securing her position as mayor without the need for a runoff.
