GRAMMYAWARDS
38 BILLBOARD • DECEMBER 7, 2019
MGANDHIADAM^ E
politics, women’s empowerment and music world-wide. In 2015 she won The Recording Academy’s Producer-singer-songwriter Kiran Gandhi, 30, drummer for M.I.A., she released her second LP, creates experimental electro-pop. A former Visions, in 2019 and regularly speaks on
My intention in regards to becoming a voting member GrammyU business-plan competition with her benefit artists, consumers and labels equally.idea for a new streaming service that would
was very clear: I really wanted to be part of the change to nominate and vote for diverse and unique musical acts —untold, whose lyrics don’t contribute to the oppres-sion of other people. I wanted to vote for musicians who use their music for good. I’m so excited to vote acts who are telling stories often
for someone like Lizzo.family, and I still love watching the Grammys. I didn’t watch much TV growing up, but the Grammys are something my family would prepare for. We’d guess the winners among ourselves and have a really fun I used to love watching the Grammys with my
time as a family watching them. I think my family watched them with me because they knew how much I loved music and pop culture.GrammyU business-plan competition, that I began to learn the depths of what the Grammys do. I had It really wasn’t until 2015, when I entered the
no idea it was a full-on community and that there were so many people behind the scenes working year-round to support musicians. I didn’t know about MusicCares, which is so brilliant, because obvi-ously so many musicians don’t have access to health care and are so susceptible to things like losing their
instruments or facing health risks when traveling. When I won the GrammyU competition, that’s when I started wanting to attend meetings and learn more and ultimately apply to become a voting member.year. I have to see if I can afford it. When I went as It would be a dream to go to the ceremony this
the GrammyU business plan competition winner, I Justin Bieber, “Where Are Ü Now.” I had a really beau-tiful time. had front-row seats. I remember sitting behind Diplo and Skrillex, and at the time they had the song with —AS TOLD TO KATIE BAIN KOURTNEY JACKSON
“ I had no idea it was a full-on comthere were so mworking year-round to support many people behind the scenes musicians.”unity and