We Are Moving the Needle, Female Producer-Engineer Advocacy Group, to Present First Annual Awa

 Posted on April 18, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  1030 words  |  Reinaldo Massengill

We Are Moving the Needle, a non-profit organization that aims to empower women producers and engineers, will present its first annual awards during Grammy Week in Los Angeles. The invite-only Resonator Awards will take place Tuesday, January 30, 2024 and will showcase the top echelon of female and gender-minority producers and engineers.

Resonator Awards will be presented to several outstanding producers and engineers, as well as an executive who has made equity a priority throughout their career, according to the announcement. Additionally, this inaugural ceremony will include the first inductees to the Resonator Hall of Fame, which recognizes a class of legendary producers and engineers who paved the way and made significant contributions that have shaped the recording industry over their careers. Honorees are selected by a committee of their peers based on their technical integrity, artistic excellence, innovation, and impact. 

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“As we come together in Los Angeles to celebrate the best music of the past year at the Grammy Awards, We Are Moving the Needle is thrilled to shine a spotlight on the women and gender-expansive producers and engineers who created it,” said Emily Lazar, Grammy-winning mastering engineer and founder of We Are Moving the Needle. “This event embodies our commitment to inclusion and advocacy in the recording industry. While the Resonator Awards are a celebration of technical excellence, they are also an opportunity to elevate the studio roles whose contributions are often unrecognized and unrewarded. I believe it is vital to acknowledge them, to honor them, and to celebrate them as we promote conversations on equity in the recording studio. The impact of these awards will go well beyond the accolades by creating new opportunities that will continue to unite our community.”

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Alongside the evening’s award celebration, We Are Moving the Needle is launching the Unity Gain Sessions – the first of a touring series of think tanks aimed at bringing together top artists, producers, and engineers for their perspectives on the future of the industry. This first session will take place on the afternoon of Jan. 30 in Los Angeles, prior to the awards. Additional sessions are planned for Nashville, New York, and London in 2024. The Unity Gain Sessions are made possible by a grant from Beatport’s Diversity and Parity Fund.

“In the midst of the celebrations of the biggest week in music, the Unity Gain Session offers a space to unravel the intricacies of how and why we create and how we navigate this ever-evolving music production landscape,” said Lazar. “This roundtable discussion invites us to pause, reflect, and dive into the essence of our craft.”

Lazar founded We Are Moving the Needle in 2021 to help close the vast gender gap in the recording studio. Earlier this year, the nonprofit organization’s Fix the Mix initiative released its first annual report on gender representation in producing and engineering roles in the recording industry in conjunction with Middle Tennessee State University and Howard University. The study confirmed that women and non-binary people are outnumbered 49:1 by men in technical roles in the recording studio. Since its establishment, We Are Moving The Needle has awarded more than $425,000 in scholarships to women and non-binary talent to attend audio education programs globally. In addition to scholarships, each recipient receives support from a WAMTN soundBoard mentor to further guide them in advancing their careers. 

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