Recording Academy president Neil Portnow, on stage at the Grammies last night:

“When you stream a song, all the people that created that music receive a fraction of a penny,” Portnow said on stage after a performance by 12-year-old pianist Joey Alexander. “Isn’t a song worth more than a penny?

“Listen, we all love the convenience, and we support technologies like streaming, which connect us to that music. But we also have to make sure that artists grow up in a world where music is a viable career.”

Joining Portnow on stage, rapper Common added:

“So tonight, my comrades of the recording academy would like to thank our fans who support our work by going to a concert, subscribing to a music service, collecting vinyl, or speaking out for artists’ rights,” Common said.

Notably, last year Portnow also spoke out from the Grammy stage:

It marks the second time Portnow has highlighted the issue of free music streaming at the Grammys. Last year he was joined on stage by Jennifer Hudson, where he said: “What if we’re all watching the Grammys a few years from now and there’s no Best New Artist award because there aren’t enough talented artists and songwriters who are actually able to make a living from their craft?”