The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its makers. Neil Portnow is the current president of the academy.

The Recording Academy, which began in 1957, is famous for its Grammy Awards. In 1997, the Recording Academy launched The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., which produces the Latin Grammy Awards.

Producers & Engineers Wing

The Producers and Engineers Wing (P&E Wing) is a part of the academy made up of producers, engineers, mixers, and other technically involved professionals. It is composed of almost 6,000 members. The producers and Engineers wing addresses various aspects of issues facing the recording profession. They also support music and recording arts education. The P&E Wing also advocates for the use of professional usage of recording technology as well as the preservation of recordings.

The members of this division make up a large portion of those who vote on the Grammy Awards each year.

GRAMMY University Network (GRAMMY U)

The GRAMMY University Network (GRAMMY U) is an organization for college students who are pursuing a career in the music industry.

The Recording Academy created the Grammy University network to help students prepare a career in the music industry so they can get themselves established as a professional in the field. This is done through forms of networking, interactive educational experiences and programs as well as performance opportunities.

GRAMMY U is designed to enhance students’ current academic curriculum with access to recording industry professionals to give them perspectives on the recording industry.

MusiCares

The Recording Academy supports MusiCares [1], a philantranthropy whose mission is to “Provide a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares’ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.”

Chapters

The Academy has twelve chapters in various locations in the United States. The twelve chapters are; Atlanta, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Pacific Northwest, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Texas and Washington D.C.