Beatles' Grammy Nod Spotlights Music Industry's AI Debates

News that The Beatles would release the song "Now and Then" with an AI assist triggered excitement for some fans but outrage among others, as some jumped to the conclusion that deepfakes were involved. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
News that The Beatles would release the song "Now and Then" with an AI assist triggered excitement for some fans but outrage among others, as some jumped to the conclusion that deepfakes were involved. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
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Beatles' Grammy Nod Spotlights Music Industry's AI Debates

News that The Beatles would release the song "Now and Then" with an AI assist triggered excitement for some fans but outrage among others, as some jumped to the conclusion that deepfakes were involved. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
News that The Beatles would release the song "Now and Then" with an AI assist triggered excitement for some fans but outrage among others, as some jumped to the conclusion that deepfakes were involved. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File

The Fab Four broke up more than half-a-century ago and only two members are living, but they are among the contenders for the Grammy celebrating the year's best record, a head-scratching nomination that highlights the Recording Academy's ongoing debate on how to handle artificial intelligence.

News that The Beatles would release the song "Now and Then" with an AI assist triggered excitement for some fans but outrage among others, as some jumped to the conclusion that deepfakes were involved.

That isn't the case: "Now and Then" was made using "stem separation," a type of AI technology that allowed for cleaning up the decades old, lo-fi demo plagued by excess noise, reported AFP.

They used it to isolate John Lennon's vocals from the unwanted bits of the recording, making it usable.

Creators then added electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by the late George Harrison, completing the song with drums from Ringo Starr and bass, piano and slide guitar from Paul McCartney, along with additional backing vocals.

And the Recording Academy behind the Grammys gala -- set for Sunday in Los Angeles -- deemed it eligible to win Record of the Year, one of the night's top prizes, as well as Best Rock Performance.

'Elements of AI material' eligible

The institution has been grappling for years with AI's implications for the music industry, as many artists voice serious concern over the ethics of music generated by the technology.

The Academy released a ruling in 2023 that "only human creators are eligible" to be considered for Grammys.

"A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any categories," read the detailed rules.

But, it adds, "a work that features elements of AI material (i.e. material generated by the use of artificial intelligence technology) is eligible in applicable categories."

The takeaway: as it stands, work created with purely generative AI isn't eligible.

Songs touched by AI tools that polish rather than create -- like "Now and Then" -- can be considered.

As McCartney has put it regarding the Beatles track: "Nothing has been artificially created."

'Slippery slope'

Nashville singer-songwriter Mary Bragg told AFP the type of technology used on "Now and Then" is quite common, calling its development a real "a-ha moment" for producers and engineers.

She said the tool is used routinely enough that the shock in media coverage over its use on the Beatles song was a bit overwrought.

Still, Bragg said the implications of AI tools in music remains a "big deal, because it is a new realm that we're all existing in now."

The questions are far-reaching and "it is certainly a slippery slope," she told AFP. "You have people learning about what's possible more and more."

"If the integrity of the art is not preserved, that's when it's of major concern."

At the forefront of artists' concerns are issues like their work being used without clear permission or to train AI software, or their likeness being forged, with Bragg calling those examples "definitely part of the slippery slope category."

Linda Bloss-Baum, a lecturer at American University and a member of the board of directors of the Songwriters of North America, said many aspects of AI worry her -- but not the tech used on the Beatles track.

"There's a lot of bad that can come to artists from AI, but this is an example of something really good," she said.

"I think it's a really good example of how AI can come to benefit artists, if they so want," she added about the song, which was made with permission from the estates of Lennon and Harrison.

The announcement that The Beatles were in the running for one of the top Grammys triggered some eyerolls from industry watchers and social media users over the nomination of a legacy act alongside, or instead of, contemporary acts.

But the Grammys are an industry award and not fan-chosen -- and sometimes nominations have a behind-the-scenes thought process that makes sense to Academy members even if it leaves the general public puzzled.

For one thing, Bragg noted that the prize for Record of the Year goes to song engineers and producers as well as the artists.

Including The Beatles is "a nod to what is likely to be the case in the future in the world of recording," she said.

Several of the acts up for the prize have been nominated before but never won it, including Beyonce, Lamar and...The Beatles.

It's the group's fifth chance in the category; the last time was in 1971, for "Let It Be."



‘Conclave’ Wins Best Picture at BAFTAs as ‘The Brutalist’ Takes Directing and Acting Prizes 

British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)
British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)
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‘Conclave’ Wins Best Picture at BAFTAs as ‘The Brutalist’ Takes Directing and Acting Prizes 

British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)
British actor Ralph Fiennes poses on the red carpet at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 16 February 2025. (EPA)

Papal thriller “Conclave” won four prizes including best picture on Sunday at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, where genre-bending musical “Emilia Pérez” proved that it’s still an awards contender despite a multipronged backlash that looked to have dented its chances.

At a ceremony where no film dominated, “The Brutalist” equaled the awards tally of “Conclave," scooping four trophies, including best director for Brady Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody. Mikey Madison won the best actress prize for Brooklyn tragicomedy “Anora.”

“Conclave,” which stars Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal corralling conniving clergy as they elect a new pope, beat “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez” and Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” to the top prize. “Conclave” was also named outstanding British film and took trophies for editing and adapted screenplay.

Supporting performer prizes went to Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain” and Zoe Saldaña for “Emilia Pérez,” which also won the award for best film not in the English language.

From the BAFTAs to the Oscars

Stars including Cynthia Erivo, Hugh Grant, Ariana Grande, Lupita Nyong’o, Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan walked the red carpet at London’s Royal Festival Hall for the awards, known as BAFTAs. The British prizes often provide clues about who will triumph at Hollywood’s Academy Awards on March 2, in an unusually hard-to-call awards season.

They also have a distinctly British accent. The ceremony kicked off with its kilt-wearing host, Scottish actor David Tennant, leading the audience in a rousing singalong of The Proclaimers’ anthem “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

Madison won the female acting trophy for her powerhouse performance as an exotic dancer entangled with a Russian oligarch's son in “Anora.” She beat Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore for body-horror film “The Substance,” Ronan for “The Outrun,” Erivo for “Wicked” and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for “Hard Truths.”

Brody beat competition from Fiennes, Chalamet, who plays the young Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” Grant for the horror film “Heretic,” Colman Domingo for prison drama “Sing Sing” and Sebastian Stan for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.”

Brody, who plays a Hungarian-Jewish architect in the postwar United States, said “The Brutalist” carried a powerful message for our divided times.

“It speaks to the need for all of us to share in the responsibility of how we want others to be treated and how we want to be treated by others,” he said. “There's no place any more for antisemitism. There's no place for racism.”

“The Brutalist” also won prizes for its cinematography and musical score.

“A Real Pain,” about mismatched cousins on a trip to explore their roots, won the BAFTA for best original screenplay, as well as Culkin's acting award.

“I’d like to share this with my wife, who didn’t come because she didn’t think I’d win,” quipped writer-director Jesse Eisenberg, who also co-starred in the film.

Claymation caper “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” won awards for best animated feature and best family and children’s film.

Sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” won prizes for sound and visual effects, while blockbuster musical “Wicked” took the costume and production design trophies.

Rising stars and lifetime honors

Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,000 members of the UK academy of industry professionals, with one — the Rising Star Award — selected by public vote from a shortlist of nominees. This year's winner was David Jonsson, star of high finance TV drama series “Industry” and London rom-com “Rye Lane.”

“Star, I don’t know,” he said. “But rising, I guess.”

The prize for best British debut went to Rich Peppiatt, writer-director of Irish-language hip-hop drama “Kneecap.”

“Willow” and “Return of the Jedi” actor Warwick Davis received the academy’s top honor, the BAFTA Fellowship, for his screen career and work to create a more inclusive film industry.

The 3-foot, 6-inch (1.1-meter) actor founded a talent agency for actors under 5 feet tall, because, he said, “short actors weren’t known for their talent, just their height.”

“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me — and I’ve been in ‘Star Wars,’” Davis said as he accepted his award.

This awards season has been clouded by last month’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and BAFTA chairwoman Sara Putt sent a message of strength to everyone affected,

The event was without a dash of royal glamour this year. Neither Prince William, who is honorary president of the British film academy, nor his wife Kate attended the ceremony, which coincided with school holidays for their three children.

William, 42, sent a video message, recorded during a visit to meet students at the London Screen Academy on Wednesday.

During the visit, the heir to the throne discussed his own viewing habits, saying he’d watched World War II drama “Darkest Hour” and had begun postapocalyptic TV drama “The Last of Us.” He said he found it “quite full on” and didn’t make it to the end.