Are the Grammys Losing Credibility?
Are lower ratings and controversy leading to a loss of credibility for the grammys? Let's discuss.

Introduction

"Look, if there's people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don't need this right here. I promise you, you already won." - Drake

In 2019, Drake won the Grammy for Best Rap Song. He then went on to raise more than a few eyebrows with his speech, a part of which I quoted above. Since then, Drake hasn’t received a single nomination for any other Grammy. In fact, he was cut short on the night as the show cut off into an ad while he was still on his honest rant.

Questions about the Grammys’ credibility started long before Drake’s rant, as far back as 2014 or maybe even further back. Time and time again, the Grammys have caused outrage with some controversial decisions. Consider this.

The 55th Grammy Awards pulled a crowd of over 28 million viewers. Ten editions later at the 65th Grammy Awards, organizers were celebrating a viewership of 12.4 million because it’s the highest since 2020. Something is wrong. Let’s try to figure out what it is.

What’s the Problem?

I’m sure some people will have stories of Grammy shockers even before 2014, but let’s start there. In 2014, the music world was shocked to learn that Kendrick Lamar wouldn’t win the Best Rap Album category. Instead, the award went to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis for their album, the Heist, which many would say was quite fitting for the occasion.

Of course, I don’t mean any disrespect to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, but the choice between the two seemed pretty obvious to everyone except the Recording Academy. Even Macklemore expressed his surprise at the decision. It was, by all standards, quite the shock.

One year after this famous “robbery�, in 2015, Beyonce was the victim. Everyone agreed she had the award in the bag in the build-up to the event. The album, titled Beyonce, was a masterpiece that deserved no less. Everyone agreed except the Grammys themselves. The world was in for another shock.

When the announcement came, everyone was surprised to hear a name other than Beyonce, but that wasn’t even the biggest twist. Beyonce was snubbed, but Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, and Pharrell Williams were all snubbed in that same category. Instead, Beck took the award home for his album, Morning Phase. I’m sure it was an amazing album from Beck, but was it better than Beyonce (Beyonce), In the Lonely Hours (Sam Smith), X (Ed Sheeran), or Girl (Pharrell Williams)?

In 2020, The Weeknd released After Hours. It blew up beyond anything he had ever done before. It was a clear favorite for Album of the Year, everyone agreed. Much to our surprise, it didn’t even get a nomination. To say the least, it was a stunning decision.

These three stories are only examples of the controversial decisions that have clouded the Grammys over the years. It has led not just to several fans ignoring the awards but also artists boycotting the awards. Eminem, Kanye West, J Cole, and Drake among many others have all publicly spoken out against the Grammys. So people have started to wonder, are the Grammys still credible?

What Do I Think?

As much as the Grammys have made some truly questionable decisions over the last few years, I don’t think it’s enough to completely write off the prestigious award. They’ve also had some good moments, and this has been reflected in the recent upturn in viewership. In the spirit of leaving the past behind us, let’s shine the light only on the last Grammy Awards. Was there any sign of progress?

The Good Signs

There was an awe-inspiring tribute to celebrate fifty years of hip-hop music. From the pioneering legends to the current stars of the genre, it was a true festival of hip-hop’s very best moments. It started with pioneer Grandmaster Flash performing Flash to the Beat and The Message, followed by an impressive cast of headline acts. Run DMC, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Scarface, and Missy Elliot all rocked on stage.

Busta Rhymes left jaws opening with his rapid gunfire style rapping, and current stars like Lil Baby represented the Gen Z era in stellar fashion. It was everything we hoped it would be and then some.

Another amazing moment saw Beyonce become the most decorated artist ever at the Grammys, winning her thirty-second to go past Georg Solti who won thirty-one times. Her album, Renaissance, swept the awards except for one which we will discuss later.

Bad Bunny and Brandi Carlile also gave us showstoppers we won’t be forgetting in a hurry, and Trevor Noah was at his very best hosting the show. All told it was a great event, but the Grammys left us scratching our heads with some decisions too.

The not so Good Signs

Despite sweeping most of her categories and becoming the most decorated artist in Grammy history, Beyonce was yet again denied the accolade she has chased for so long, Album of the Year. Bad Bunny was a second favorite in the category, but even he was overlooked.

The Grammys also chose to overlook Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Kendrick Lamar for Song of the Year. Two of the most prestigious awards on the night and the Grammys left our mouths wide open with their choices.

The Way Forward

The Grammys made some improvements, but those two decisions especially cast a shadow over an otherwise amazing show. When you consider that only ten black artists have won Album of the Year in over sixty years, it makes for grim reading.

That said, I choose to remain optimistic. Are the Grammys racist? Maybe. Is the system flawed? It’s a strong possibility. It’s not too late for the Grammys to win the fans back, however. The last edition was a step in the right direction, but there’s more work to be done.

The key word for me is transparency. If the fans understand exactly how and why these decisions are made, it will only serve to boost the credibility of the award.

So I don’t believe the Grammys are no longer credible, but I believe this is a pivotal time for the Recording Academy. They can either restore their former glory or throw it all away.