Ahead of the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® on Feb. 2, the Recording Academy^® has chosen the 2025 recipients of its Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award, Music Educator Award™ presented with the GRAMMY Museum^®, and Entertainment Law Initiative^® Writing Contest scholarships.

HARRY BELAFONTE BEST SONG FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AWARD

The Recording Academy has selected the powerful anthem for unity, “Deliver”—written by Iman Jordan (performer), Roy Gartrell, Tam Jones, and Ariel Loh—as the recipient of its Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award this year. The prestigious honor will be presented to Jordan, Gartrell, Jones, and Loh at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Feb. 1 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

Jordan, Gartrell, Jones, and Loh’s “Deliver” powerfully captures the challenges of today’s sociopolitical climate and the struggle to communicate and reconcile differences. As a rallying cry against war, the song calls for unity, civility and meaningful dialogue. It highlights how sensationalized media, politics and unchecked algorithms have compromised our ability to see each other’s humanity. Additionally, the song addresses the harsh realities of war-torn communities while offering a message of hope through understanding and tough conversations.

The Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award is a CEO’s Merit Award established by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 2022 to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact. Recipient(s) are 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. Named in honor of the late entertainment icon Harry Belafonte, a powerful voice for social justice throughout his illustrious career, this award recognizes exceptional contributions to music and social advocacy. For more information about the award, including past recipients, visit here.

MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD, PRESENTED WITH THE GRAMMY MUSEUM

Adrian L. Maclin of Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee, is the recipient of the 2025 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. Maclin will also be recognized during the Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Sat, Feb. 1. In addition, nine music teachers have been announced as finalists for the award. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states. A complete list of the recipients is below.

The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application. Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school's music program. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

The Music Educator Award program, including honorariums, is made possible by the generosity and support of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies. Nominations and applications for the 2026 Music Educator Award are now open via grammymusicteacher.com. Read more about the winner and the Foundation here.

ENTERTAINMENT LAW INITIATIVE WRITING CONTEST

The Recording Academy Entertainment Law Initiative has selected Melanie Sallis of Georgia State University College of Law as the winner of its annual ELI Writing Contest. In addition, two students have been announced as the runners-up for the Contest. A complete list of the recipients is below.

The Recording Academy established the Entertainment Law Initiative in partnership with the nation’s most prominent entertainment attorneys to promote discussion and debate around compelling legal matters and trends in the ever-evolving music industry. Co-sponsored by the American Bar Association, the ELI Writing Contest challenges law students to identify and research a current legal issue in the music industry and outline a proposed solution in an essay. The winning paper is published in the ABA’s journal, Entertainment & Sports Lawyer. A $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the winner, $2,500 scholarships are given to two runners-up, and all three receive a mentor session with a leading entertainment attorney. The winner will also receive tickets to attend the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards and MusiCares Person Of The Year^®. For more information about the Entertainment Law Initiative, including past recipients of the ELI Writing Contest, visit here.

The 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT. Prior to the telecast, the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony^® will be held at the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on live.GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy's YouTube channel. The 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours. GRAMMY season media assets are available here. Follow "Recording Academy/GRAMMYs" on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and use #GRAMMYs to join the conversation.

ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY

The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum^®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares^®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards^® — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy, please visit GRAMMY.com and RecordingAcademy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. For media assets, please visit the Recording Academy Press Room.

ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM

The GRAMMY Museum, currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and exploring music from yesterday and today to inspire the music of tomorrow through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives, and public programming. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum values and celebrates the dynamic connection in people’s diverse backgrounds and music’s many genres, telling stories that inspire us, and creative expression that leads change in our industry.

For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org, "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook, and follow @GRAMMYMuseum on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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