Ghanaian music executive Richie Mensah has been appointed a voting member of the Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammy Awards.

The accomplished music producer, singer, songwriter and Chief Executive Officer of Lynx Group of Companies announced the news by sharing an artwork from the Recording Academy confirming his appointment.

In a Facebook post, Richie captioned the artwork, “thank you Recording Academy for the honour.”

His appointment has been met with excitement among Ghanaians, who view it as a significant milestone for the country’s music industry. While a few Ghanaians are already members of the Academy but have not made it public, many believe Richie’s inclusion will further open doors for local talents.

Some social media users have also expressed hope that his appointment will positively impact the development of Ghana’s music industry.

Richie Mensah has produced a lot of superstars from his stables apart from his personal music projects. His Lynx Entertainment record label has spawned talents such as Kuami Eugene, KiDi, Asem, Eazzy, MzVee, DopeNation, Zigi, OJ Blaq (deceased), among others.

A few weeks ago, Lady Dentaa Amoateng, consultant to the Recording Academy’s CEO Harvey Mason Jr., said on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM that Ghana’s chances at the Grammys would remain slim until more Ghanaians joined the Academy.

When asked about non-Africans being eligible for the African Music Performance category, she said the best solution was to increase African representation within the Academy.

“That is why we need Africans to be able to vote. If you are on the Board, you have voting rights. There are meetings that they go through the process, so if there are more of us on that platform, then you won’t get non-Africans infusing in that category too much. So I think it is really important,” she told hosts Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio.

Dentaa added that she would embark on a campaign to ensure more Ghanaians are invited to join the Academy.

The Recording Academy has over 16,000 members, with more than 13,000 voting members.

Voting members include recording artists, songwriters, composers, producers, engineers, mixers, mastering engineers, instrumentalists and arrangers.

There are also professional members such as artist managers, publicists, label executives, music publishers, agents, entertainment lawyers, business managers and live event producers.

The final group, GRAMMY U, consists of college students studying music or related fields who aspire to work in the industry. The programme provides mentorship and networking opportunities.