Japanese-American Artist Emiko’s “Venice (Nihon-go Version)” Featured on Inaugural GRAMMY® Ballot for Best Asian Pop Music Performance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Japanese-American Songwriter Emiko’s “Venice (Nihon-go Version)” Appears on Inaugural GRAMMY® Ballot for Best Asian Pop Music Performance

The award-winning songwriter’s Japanese-language recording, featuring GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist and producer Larry Mitchell, enters the first year of the Academy’s new Asian pop category.

LOS ANGELES, October 16, 2026 — Japanese-American recording artist, songwriter, and composer Emiko has been included on the inaugural ballot for Best Asian Pop Music Performance at the 69th Annual GRAMMY Awards® for her single “Venice (Nihon-go Version),” featuring GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist and producer Larry Mitchell. The category, introduced for the 2027 GRAMMY Awards, recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop performances, including J-pop, K-pop, and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.

First-round voting runs October 12–22, 2026. For Emiko, whose life and career span Japan and the United States, the ballot placement carries significance beyond the recognition of a single recording.

“Growing up between Japan and the United States, I often felt that I didn’t quite fit anywhere. Depending on where I was, I could feel that I wasn’t enough of one thing or too much of the other. So, to see the Recording Academy introduce this category, and to have ‘Venice (Nihon-go Version)’ included alongside so many incredibly talented Japanese and Asian artists, means a great deal to me. It’s a moment I’m deeply proud to be part of. I’m cheering all of us on, because this is bigger than any one artist. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary music coming from Japan and across Asia - and also recognizing Asian artists who release music across the globe - and I’m honored to be part of this moment.”

A prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Emiko has composed more than 3,000 songs spanning pop, rock, J-pop, R&B, and contemporary classical music, alongside scores for film, theater, and more than 20 television series. A Berklee-trained vocalist, producer, and composer, she has earned international honors for her recordings and songwriting, including recognition from the European International Music Awards, World Songwriter Awards, World Songwriting Awards, and Global Music Awards. Her work bridges musical genres and cultural influences, with storytelling at the heart of her creative approach.

“Venice (Nihon-go Version)” offers a new perspective on a song about transition, longing, and the emotional complexity of leaving one life behind to embrace another. For Emiko, recording the song in Japanese, the language of her heritage, brought its emotional core into sharper focus. The result is a deeply personal interpretation that connects across language barriers.

“Venice is a love song, but not in the obvious ‘go-to’ way one would think,” Emiko says. “It’s a conversation between friends, between strangers, between your outer self and inner self, in one voice, in different voices, all at the same time. An ode to letting go, moving forward, and holding onto a place or thing you know you have to leave in order to make your heart whole.”

Mitchell’s Grammy-winning musicianship and production experience complement Emiko’s distinctive songwriting and performance, bringing added depth to the Japanese-language recording.

The single has received international recognition, winning Best Adult Contemporary Single at the European International Music Awards, Best World Music Song at the World Songwriter Awards, Best World Song at the Zepstone International Film and Music Festival, and Best International Song at the Global Film and Music Festival in Chicago. These honors add to Emiko’s broader record of recognition across songwriting, recorded music, and composition.

“Venice (Nihon-go Version)” is available to hear at emikomusic.com.

Media Contact:
Tom Brumpton for Polymath PR
tom@polymath-pr.com

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