Lim Hyung-joo joins Grammys voting member
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Lim Hyung-joo
Popera star Lim Hyung-joo has become a voting member of the Grammy Awards, the artist’s agency said Wednesday.
He is the first Asian popera singer to receive the honor.
The Recording Academy gave Lim a five-year voting membership, the highest of all membership grades, according to his agency DGNcom.
The Recording Academy, a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals, has been hosting the Grammy Awards since 1959. To qualify for a voting member of the prestigious organization, applicants should meet a series of certain requirements it suggests. Some 10,000 to 20,000 people around the world have been given the highest grade membership.
“Lim’s musical ability and artistic value, shown throughout his successful 20 year music career, winning many awards and establishing his firm status in the global musical arena, has been highly recognized,” said a DGNcom official.
“I’m so happy and greatly honored, hearing the news ahead of my scheduled entry to the military,” said Lim through the agency. “I’ll save no effort to raise the global awareness of Korean culture and music.”
The singer will join the mandatory military service on Monday.
As for Korean artists, Han Terra, an award-winning gayageum player, was given a one-year voting membership. Hwang Byeong-joon, a recording engineer who became the first Grammy winner in Korea for Best Engineered Album in the Classical Album category at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012, also holds a voting membership.
Lim, since his debut in 1998, at the age of 12, with his solo album “Whispers of Hope,” has sold more than 1.2 million records worldwide.
In 2010, he won a U.N. Peace Medal for his charity works, becoming the first Korean and the youngest recipient of the award. In 2015, CNN selected him as one of the three most recognizable popera tenors in the world.
jinhai@ktimes.com