As another list of Grammys nominations , a familiar feeling of disappointment set in. While there were a handful of pleasant surprises in this year鈥檚 nominees 鈥� like or the unexpected support given to some of my favorite artists like Victoria Monet and Janelle Monae 鈥� I couldn鈥檛 help but feel frustrated by the usual oversights in the nominations. As , the choices were largely white and conventional, snubbing some of the year鈥檚 most experimental and influential artists like PinkPantheress 鈥� even when her collab with Ice Spice, 鈥淏oy鈥檚 a Liar Pt. 2鈥� was a . Many lesser-known artists who made some of the best music of the year, like Kelela and Amaarae, were also sidelined.
Of course, much of my disappointment comes from personal preference. But I am evidently not the only one who has grown disillusioned with the awards ceremony, which in recent years. And it鈥檚 not hard to imagine why audience members would be tired of dealing with an institution like the Grammys 鈥� for instance, audience members have grown increasingly frustrated by the Recording Academy robbings. Already in and , commentators were claiming that the Grammys 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
But as much as I understand this response, I hesitate to embrace it. The Grammys undeniably represent the highest industry accolades for music, whether we like it or not. The artists decorated by such prestigious awards should be chosen more meritocratically, and apathy toward the Grammys鈥� existence won鈥檛 help the situation.
But what makes the Grammys so important? Even with record-low viewership numbers, the Grammys pull in audiences of millions 鈥� and even those who don鈥檛 watch may find themselves checking the list of winners the next day. Beyond the joy of seeing talented artists receive recognition for their musical accomplishments, a Grammy can also do wonders for a musician鈥檚 career. Billboard claims that artists can see anywhere after simply being featured in the ceremony. Even with , Taylor Swift鈥檚 Album of the Year win in 2021 for 鈥淔olklore鈥� in the following days. If an already successful artist like Taylor Swift can benefit so much from a win, just imagine what a simple nomination could do for the career of a less famous artist. But a list as powerful as that of the Grammy nominees should represent the best of the industry 鈥� not arbitrary and unfair factors such as the of Grammy Voters, which for.
However, it is not so easy to figure out how the Grammys can improve on this front. The show currently , a similar process to the equally . This seemingly makes people鈥檚 choices more susceptible to peer persuasion than anything else, since it is not feasible to listen to every single eligible release from the year. A shake-up to the award categories might help less well-known artists find their footing. Considering there already exists a 鈥淏est New Artist鈥� category, I don鈥檛 see any reason why there couldn鈥檛 be more categories dedicated to the more up-and-coming hits from new artists so every category doesn鈥檛 get filled by the industry鈥檚 giants. Having categories that specifically highlight independent artists and experimental music genres would also do a lot to broaden the scope of the ceremony.
Ultimately, we aren鈥檛 the ones in control of the Recording Academy, so there鈥檚 not much we can directly do to change the Grammys as mere audience members. But pretending that the Grammys have no impact is not the answer. Rather, we can apply collective pressure to change the practices of the Recording Academy. As easy as it is to dislike and dismiss the awards, getting them to slowly change for the better can do a lot of good for everyone involved. I鈥檝e already anecdotally heard from multiple friends that they tuned in to the excellent new Victoria Monet album, 鈥淛aguar II,鈥� after seeing how many nominations she got. Just a few months ago, she wasn鈥檛 even included as a performer at the VMAs because they , something I doubt would happen again to one of the most nominated people at this year鈥檚 Grammys. If we can correct the errors in the selection process of the Grammys, the awards have the potential to be a tool of empowerment for talented artists long neglected by the music industry.
Paulie Malherbe 鈥�26 can be reached at paulie_malherbe@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
