Jennifer Nettles.Photo: John Shearer/WireImage
In music — as in nearly every industry — equal representation for women has come a long way since the early days, but it still has a long way to go.
As women in the industry have begun to up the pressure for equal airplay, equal recognition at awards shows including the Grammys, and equal compensation, they’ve run into some very public resistance that shows that it’s not enough to ask for more — work is going to have to be done at every level to change attitudes and encourage inclusion from at every level of the music industry.
For instance, several years after a radio consultant declared, “If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out,“a study showed that fewer women in country were making it to radio airplay than ever before. (In 2019,Jennifer Nettles addressed that ongoing problemwith a style statement at the 2019 CMA Awards.)
“It has to begin with women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level,” he said. “[They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome.”
He laterclarified his statements after backlash from fans and musicians alike— and in the months following, the Recording Academy (the organization behind the Grammys) launched several initiatives to improve gender equity at all levels.
Grammys.Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty
“Making change for women in the music industry means making space for them to be seen, heard, and amplified. This Women’s History Month and beyond, the Academy is calling on its community of creators to come together in support and celebration of the women in music representing positive change across genres, professions, and backgrounds,” the Recording Academy said.
source: people.com
