Launched during GRAMMY Week 2024, the Recording Academy's Gold Music Alliance is a growing initiative designed to elevate and empower Pan-Asian voices across the music industry. Presented in collaboration with Gold House and Pacific Bridge Arts Foundation, the initiative builds community, creates visibility, and fosters opportunity for AAPI creators, professionals, and current and future Academy members.
As part of the Academy's broader DREAM Initiative (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All Musicmakers), the Gold Music Alliance centers the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander musicians, professionals and executives — not just as contributors to the industry, but as architects of its future.
"We need allies — and with you and the Recording Academy backing us and what we're trying to do here, it means everything," Jonathan Yip, Recording Academy Trustee and GRAMMY-winning producer, said during the Gold Music Alliance's inaugural GRAMMY Week event in Los Angeles last year. Hosted at the Fairmont Century Plaza, the event was a powerful celebration of Pan-Asian artistry and featured remarks from Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., whose support helped set the foundation for the Alliance's future.
The Gold Music Alliance aims to bridge generational and industry gaps, ensuring that emerging artists, behind-the-scenes professionals, and legacy creators alike have access to mentorship, visibility, and the resources of the Academy.
"We want to build accessibility — for us, the creators and executives, but also for the next generation," Frankie Yaptinchay, Pacific Northwest Chapter Governor and an Amazon Music executive, shared. "This is our time to be visible, our time to speak up."
With deep roots in the work of its founding partners — Gold House's cultural equity leadership and Pacific Bridge Arts Foundation's artist mentorship — the Gold Music Alliance is a growing platform designed to build lasting communities, create new pathways for emerging talent, and shape a more inclusive future for the music industry.
To keep the momentum going, the Recording Academy will host an AAPI Heritage Month celebration, dubbed Sounds of Unity, in New York City next week. Sponsored by The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), the event invites AAPI creators, Recording Academy members, and music industry allies to connect, celebrate, and learn more about the Recording Academy's year-round initiatives. The evening will celebrate the rich cultural contributions of the AAPI community in music and spotlight ongoing efforts to grow AAPI membership in the Recording Academy and leadership across the industry. Attendees will enjoy a performance by the UN Chamber Music Society (Artistic Director, Brenda Vongova) and also learn about ways to get involved with the Gold Music Alliance's expansive mission. This celebration is one of several AAPI Month events hosted by the Recording Academy in collaboration with organizations like Asian Nation and Asian American Collective.
The Recording Academy has made major strides in diversifying its membership body. Now, the Gold Music Alliance will further this mission. Since 2019, the Recording Academy has seen a 100 percent increase in the percentage of Asian or Pacific Islander+ Voting Members, as revealed in a Membership Report last year. Read our GRAMMY Impact Report to explore how the Recording Academy champions diversity within its membership body and across the music industry on a year-round basis.
"Embracing the many facets of people allows us to become more authentic storytellers," explained Raashi Kulkarni, Los Angeles Chapter board member. "It creates space for future generations to see themselves in the stories we tell and the music we make. Early in my career, I rarely saw AAPI representation in the industry, and that absence had a tangible impact. Gold Music Alliance is helping change that narrative by fostering a community rooted in representation, mentorship, and collaboration."
Learn more about the Gold Music Alliance and the Recording Academy's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, recent DEI achievements, and year-round work to support artists, creators and music professionals of all backgrounds.