Independent Artists Shine At GRAMMY House NYC: 5 Takeaways From The 2025 Showcase

As part of the first-ever GRAMMY House NYC, the Recording Academy presented a showcase of independent artists across genres and disciplines. While these artists may not have major label support, their skill and success is evident: Indie artists accounted for 50 percent of 2025 GRAMMY winners. (Read about our 2024 GRAMMY Impact Report and DREAM (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All Musicmakers) Initiative to learn more about how the Recording Academy supports the independent music community and emerging music creators and professionals on a year-round basis.)

Held June 13 at SECOND in Manhattan, the Celebrating Independent Voices in Music showcase was presented in collaboration with the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). Inspiration filled the venue, where talented creatives bonded with one another on a night dedicated to uplifting and celebrating independent artists.

Jazz-pop artist aron! opened the festivities with smooth, easygoing vibes. The 22-year-old North Carolina native performed songs off his recently released cozy you (and other nice songs) EP. His performance was followed by country-rock singer Kasey Tyndall, whose fearless attitude and gritty vocals energized the crowd the minute she hit the stage.

Two-time Latin GRAMMY nominee Diana Burco got the crowd moving to her vibrant cumbia beats, which incorporate vallenato and bullerengue genres. Rising country star Tiera Kennedy closed out the showcase with heartfelt renditions of cuts off her debut album, Rooted, including "Keep Your Promises" and "Found It In You."

The atmosphere throughout the night was lively and supportive; attendees mixed and mingled while cheering on each performer during their set. "The most important thing was being able to share my music and energy with every heart that was there," Burco told GRAMMY.com.

Several other performers and attendees spoke to GRAMMY.com about their work over the course of the event. Here are five takeaways from Celebrating Independent Voices in Music, gathered from the audience and backstage.

Photo Gallery: An Inside Look At The First-Ever GRAMMY House NYC

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🎶 Day 1 of GRAMMY House NYC set the tone — and it was nothing short of powerful. 🎤✨ We kicked things off with Women Shaping the Future of Music, a meaningful gathering that sparked real connection and celebrated the women driving change in the industry. Then,Sonic Shift took us into the future of music and tech, exploring how creators are using innovation to deepen impact and build community. The night ended on a high note with Celebrating Independent Voices, where indie artists lit up the stage.🌟 The first-ever #GRAMMYHouseNYC is just getting started — and every voice has a place here. Thank you to GRAMMY House NYC partners @United Airlines, @A2IM, @maccosmetics, @The MLC , SECOND, and @Voss Water USA.

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Celebrate Where You Are In Your Journey

In 2023, Tiera Kennedy was dropped from Big Machine Records after being told her R&B country sound "wouldn’t work." The next year, the 26-year-old Alabama native appeared on Beyoncé’s GRAMMY-winning Cowboy Carter album, which bumped up Kennedy’s first-time Spotify listens by a whopping 110 percent.

Seven months later, Kennedy released her debut album, Rooted, which serves as a metaphor for Kennedy’s redeclaration of who she is as an artist. At the Celebrating Independent Voices in Music showcase, Kennedy's deeply moving set had the crowd demanding an encore performance.

"When I am having a tough day, it’s easy to feel defeated, but now I’m in a season where I’m forcing myself to look back maybe a year ago or a couple months ago and where I was in my life. To see where I am now, it just feels great," Kennedy told GRAMMY.com in the GRAMMY House NYC green room after the show. "It feels cool to be celebrated, knowing all the hard work that goes into this. I’m sure the Lord is looking down like, ‘I told you that you didn’t have anything to worry about.’"

Connection Is Key

Networking is invaluable in the music industry, and sometimes just being in the room is enough. It’s why alternative R&B artist Naishe flew from Johannesburg to New York to attend the showcase and connect with fellow creatives.

"I believe that those relationships you build go a long way, especially as an independent," she stressed. "At the end of the day, this is a business and as an artist, this is your life, so everything you do revolves around this. I’m always making sure that I’m continuing to collaborate with people, which is why being at events like this is so important. In this space, it’s just very much about being open."

Stay The Course

One major advantage of taking the independent route is the freedom to create without a label influencing the direction of your sound. While some artists stay independent throughout their careers, other indie acts dream of that major label access. After years of working independently, Aron! recently signed to Verve Records, also home to Jon Batiste, Samara Joy and Cynthia Erivo.

For indie artists working toward wider recognition, his advice is simple: "Do whatever you think you should be doing and then keep doing it even if nobody cares, because if you think you should, you’re probably right."

Your Team Matters

The day-to-day life of an independent artist is far from a cakewalk, but a small team becomes a mighty one when the right people are on board.

"I know who I am as an artist, and I know what I want to say, but sometimes I don’t know how to get it there," Kennedy shared. "I’ve been able to build such an amazing team that I’m so grateful for."

Added Naishe: "You can’t be shy to ask for help, but finding the right help is so important. The people who really see your vision and who are able to take your vision to the next level, those are the people you want to hold onto because an artist doesn’t get to where they need to get to on their own."

Tap Into Resources Designed To Help You

From creating the music to promoting it and booking gigs, indie artists wear many hats, but organizations like A2IM and The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), another GRAMMY House NYC partner, exist to help make those processes a little less siloed.

A2IM, a not-for-profit representing hundreds of independently owned record labels in the U.S., has provided independent artists with the tools to advocate for themselves and their music since 2005. In fact, A2IM fought for indie artists to receive the same royalties as major label artists on Apple Music.

Meanwhile, The MLC’s mission is to ensure that creators and their music publishing partners receive their U.S. digital audio mechanical royalties from streaming and download services accurately and on time. The MLC is also dedicated to empowering creators through educational outreach and developing tools and resources that promote greater transparency and efficiency in royalty distribution across the music industry.

GRAMMY House NYC partners include United Airlines, A2IM (American Association of Independent Music), M·A·C Cosmetics, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), Chef Laurent Tourondel's event venue SECOND, and VOSS Water.