Make Some Noise: What are the Grammys really awarding?

I have some issues with the Grammys — and I think it’s fair to say I’m not alone. 

Every February, we count the days until that defining night that is meant to recognize and celebrate the best the music industry has to offer — Harry Styles’ birthday!

Then a few days pass and we all tune in to watch the annual Grammy Awards. 

This year marked the 66th rendition of the awards show, and the night was full of fashion, performances and, of course, awards. But for an awards show that should be celebrating music and its ability to bring us together, the Recording Academy proves that they are not as devoted to this cause as they should be. 

While I acknowledge it’s impossible to listen to every piece of music released in a given year and decide what’s “best,” I’m tired of seeing the same artists win year after year while so many deserving musicians are left unnoticed.  

A perfect example of this overlooked talent can be found among the members of Boygenius. As one of my favorite music groups, I am ecstatic that they’re receiving mainstream attention and praise. But since Phoebe Bridgers has been nominated for Grammy awards as a solo artist, it left me wondering why Boygenius’s other two members, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, have yet to be acknowledged by the Recording Academy for their individual music. 

I feel their omission is not based on talent, which they have in abundance, but the Grammys’ potential commercial gain based on their nominations. 

The Grammys’ focus on monetary gain doesn’t stop with the academy, though. I would argue that it’s just as prevalent in some of the artists who attend. 

While Taylor Swift announcing her eleventh studio album, “Tortured Poets Department,” after winning the prestigious Album of the Year sent waves through the music industry, the announcement felt more like a commercial than a celebration of music.

Announcing an album on one of the largest stages in music is a powerful move, but it served to completely overshadow her win of one of the biggest awards of the night.

By the way, Taylor Swift is now the only person to receive the Album of the Year award four times. Ever. 

And instead of recognizing this achievement’s influence on her already illustrious career, Swift made it clear that she was focused on releasing new music (and making even more money in the process). 

On the topic of Album of the Year, I think it’s a good time to bring up the lack of diversity present at the Grammys. 

A Black woman has not won Album of the Year since Lauryn Hill won in it 1999 for her seminal album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” And Beyoncé, the most highly awarded artist in Grammy history, has never received it. 

This is not a new or especially groundbreaking take. Still, the Recording Academy’s voting system has not changed to reflect the public’s misgivings, and they continue to snub artists of deserving talent for seemingly no good reason.

When Jay-Z took the stage to accept his Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, he brought up this same point. After recognizing trailblazing Black artists like Run DMC, Dr. Dre and Will Smith, Jay-Z talked about his own experience boycotting the Grammys. He delivered a message to all the Black artists that have been continually shortchanged by the Recording Academy: “Keep showing up,” he said. “Until they give you all those accolades you feel you deserve.”   

With all that said, I would like to acknowledge one of the Grammys’ bright sides: the performances. 

As an extension of the Grammys, they inherently perpetuate the same issues as the awards. But, the performances this year honored musical legends, such as Tina Turner, while bringing different generations of music to the forefront. 

The most notable performances of the night were Tracy Chapman alongside Luke Combs and Fantasia Barrino. 

Nearly 40 years ago Chapman wrote “Fast Car,” so seeing her and Combs, who brought the classic back to the popular realm, perform that song together was a great representation of how celebratory and inclusionary the Grammys can be. And Barrino’s tribute to the late Tina Turner was powerful, beautiful and absolutely necessary. 

With the Recording Academy unwilling to change its ways, I think it’s time for us as viewers to reflect on its impact and importance in the world of music as a whole.