The Recording Academy is determined not to have another "#GrammysSoWhite" situation on its hands.
The Academy, the organization of music industry professionals that determines who wins at the annual Grammy Awards ceremony, invited 900 new members on Thursday, reports Billboard. All 900 invitees are women or people of color.
The move came as a response to recommendations from the Academy's special task force on diversity. The task force said expanding the organization's voting member base would help build a sense of diversity and inclusivity. While last year, the subcommittee that determines Grammy nominations was 28 percent female and 37 percent people of color, its composition is now 51 percent female and 38 percent people of color.
Tina Tchen, the task force chair, told Billboard that the 900 new invites were a "first step" for the committee, which was formed in February after the Academy was criticized for its lack of diversity. Critics were furious when the Academy's CEO, Neil Portnow, said women should simply "step up" if they want a bigger role in the industry.
"We wanted to do [it] right away to affect this year's awards season," said Tchen. The Academy is made up of 22,000 members, 33 percent of whom are women. Of the 13,000 members eligible to vote on awards, 21 percent are women. Fifty-five percent of eligible voting members are white, and 28 percent are people of color. Read more at Billboard.