Dr. Chelsey Green, an associate professor at Boston's Berklee College of Music, has been elected chair of the Recording Academy's board of trustees, making her the first Black woman and the youngest person ever to hold the role. Her new post plants a Boston educator squarely inside the organization that runs the Grammy Awards and leads national advocacy for music creators, a shift students and colleagues describe as a win for Berklee and for local musicians hungry for a bigger voice in the industry.
In a press release from the Recording Academy, the organization said Green’s election took effect on June 1, 2025, with Evan Bogart chosen as vice chair and Jennifer Blakeman as secretary and treasurer. The Academy noted that the national officers will collaborate with CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and senior leadership to guide strategy on advocacy, awards and creator services. Mason said he was “honored to welcome” the newly elected board and officers and to have them help “lead the Academy forward.”
Green's musical résumé
Green is a Billboard charting violinist, violist and vocalist who leads the ensemble Chelsey Green and The Green Project, folding her classical training into a blend of R&B, jazz and soul. According to Berklee, she has performed with Stevie Wonder, Lizzo and Samara Joy, and has made orchestral debuts with groups that include the National Symphony Orchestra. She joined the Recording Academy’s board in 2021, has helped lead initiatives such as the Black Music Collective and continues to teach in Berklee’s String Department.
Students and campus reaction
Students and faculty at Berklee told local outlets that Green’s chairmanship feels like a landmark moment for representation in music leadership. Annika Guenther told Boston 25 that “having that perspective of powerful women all around this school is so incredibly valuable.” Other students said that seeing a Boston professor connected to the Grammys makes the path from classroom to national platforms feel more real and reachable.
What it could mean for the Grammys
Green’s election signals two notable shifts in the Academy’s leadership. She is both the youngest chair in the organization’s history and the first Black woman to serve in the position, and she follows Tammy Hurt in the role, meaning the board will have been led by two women in succession. According to the Recording Academy, the board serving from 2025 to 2027 includes a diverse slate of trustees from across the industry who will help shape voting and awards policies. Advocates say leadership changes like this could support greater visibility for underrepresented creators and keep pressure on the awards process to reflect the current music landscape.
On campus, Berklee administrators and students are framing Green’s new role as an extension of the college’s mission to train musicians who understand the business as well as the art. In a statement to Berklee, Green said she was “deeply honored to serve at this moment” and described the chairship as a platform to “advocate for access” and to innovate on behalf of music creators. Her appointment is already being cited around campus as proof that Boston’s music education programs can open national doors for the next generation of artists.
