Recording Academy Renames Best Song For Social Change Award In Honor Of Harry Belafonte

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The Recording Academy has renamed and recategorized its annual Best Song For Social Change Special Merit Award to the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award in honor of the late entertainment industry icon who was a powerful voice for social justice throughout his illustrious career. Originally established in 2022, the award will continue to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact.

Formerly a Special Merit Award, the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award will now be categorized as a CEO's Merit Award; finalists and the recipients will be selected annually by a Committee composed of a community of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting, and the power of songs to effect social change.

The submission period for the current cycle of the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award is Wednesday, July 17 — Friday, Aug. 30. The inaugural Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award will be presented during the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season.

Read the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award guidelines and make a submission here. Learn more about the award and see all of the past recipients.

From his debut in the 1950s until his passing in 2023, Belafonte's artistic career progressed in parallel with his work as a trailblazing activist. An important friend of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and advisor, organizer and funder of the Civil Rights Movement, Belafonte helped organize the 1961 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and contributed to the 1961 Freedom Rides and the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. Belafonte was outspoken throughout his career about American political elections; he performed at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball and was later named as a cultural advisor to the Peace Corps by Kennedy.

Creating the gold record standard in the music industry, Belafonte's 1956 RCA album CALYPSO made him the first artist in history to sell over 1 million albums. An advocate for global humanitarian causes including the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa, Belafonte, in 1985, was the key organizer for the benefit single "We Are The World," which raised money for famine relief in Africa and ultimately won four GRAMMY Awards; it remains one of the best-selling physical singles of all time. As well, Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and traveled internationally to raise awareness for the needs of children across sub-Saharan Africa.

A two-time GRAMMY winner and 11-time GRAMMY nominee, Belafonte received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. Three of Belafonte's recordings are inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame: Belafonte At Carnegie Hall (inducted in 1999), "Banana Boat (Day-O)" (inducted in 2009), and Calypso (inducted in 2015).

"The greatness of Harry Belafonte's artistic legacy is matched by his profound impact of furthering social justice for all," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. "We are honored to recognize his lasting influence with the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change Award and to continue celebrating works that have inspired global communities towards social impact."

"The Belafonte estate is deeply honored and thrilled that the Recording Academy's Best Song For Social Change Award will now be named the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award," Belafonte's living family members and Belafonte estate representatives Adrienne, Shari, Gina, and Pamela Belafonte said in a statement. "This recognition not only celebrates Harry Belafonte's enduring legacy in music and activism, but also inspires future generations to continue using their voices and art for justice and positive change."

The original Best Song For Social Change Special Merit Award debuted at the 2023 GRAMMYs. The inaugural award, presented by First Lady Jill Biden, went to "Baraye" by Iranian singer/songwriter Shervin Hajipour. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, the award went to "Refugee" by K'naan, Steve McEwan, and Gerald Eaton. "The words [K'naan] wrote for the song resonate with me like not many songs do," McEwan said about "Refugee" in an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book.