Photo by Lily Shea
Vincent Van Great
Vincent Van Great feels blessed to have been selected as a voting member of The Recording Academy, the institutional home to the GRAMMY Awards, for its 2025 class. This honor marks a tremendous step in the veteran Milwaukee artist/producer’s career, reflecting Van Great’s charismatic creative persona and steadfast dedication to perfecting his craft.
As a voting member of The Recording Academy, Van Great will have influence over the upcoming GRAMMY awards across all categories. “Being a contemporary R&B and hip-hop producer and artist, I don’t only get to vote on those genres,” he explains. “I can submit works for GRAMMY consideration, and I get access to all the GRAMMY workshops and events.”
Having worked in the music industry for more than 15 years, Van Great is a hometown favorite, lauded for his artistic versatility. With an extensive music catalog comprising both solo and collaborative releases, he has worked with Milwaukee talent like Amanda Huff, Genesis Renji, Klassik, Dana Coppafeel, IshDARR and Paper Holland. His most recent album Ladies Please dropped in 2023. On a national scale, Van Great has performed on the Eric Andre Live Tour presented by Adult Swim, plus he is Music Director for comedian Lahna Turner’s “Perfect 10” podcast.
Industry Recommendations
Van Great explains that becoming a member of the Academy is not as simple as filling out an application. “There has to be industry professionals who have to recommend you.” He continues, “I’ve built a lot of connections and have a lot of resources, so there were people in The Recording Academy who wrote me letters of recommendation.”
After submitting everything from streaming numbers to media recognition, Van Great waited months before the Academy finally notified him this summer that he was selected to be a voting member. He remembers how it felt hearing his name counted among others like Joey Bada$$, Addison Rae and Nicki Glaser. “It was super humbling,” he affirms.
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Van Great mentions that he and fellow members are in the midst of finalizing submissions for the GRAMMYs. “After they’re all in, then we’ll get into listening to all the different projects and singles, then we get that score sheet out.”
Networking Opportunities
Being in The Recording Academy has already brought incredible networking opportunities for Van Great and it will continue to. He assures that with his new role he will champion Milwaukee music at every turn.
“Milwaukee music is in a really good spot,” he contends. “My best friend, Charley Cooks, is producing BigXThaPlug’s music and has four Top 100 records this year. The youngins are doing their thing right now, getting lots of national exposure and streaming numbers going crazy. They’re all pushing it forward, and it’s bringing attention to our city.”
