The best of the best in the music industry get the recognition they deserve at the annual Grammy Awards. There are tears of joy, sadness, excitement and shock that come from the results. They can also sometimes be controversial, but have we ever wondered where the results even come from? Furthermore, could this process be rigged?
“Yes, because it picks the most paid artists or the most popular ones to give the Grammys some buzz,” senior Olivia McPhee said.
Although slightly vague, the Recording Academy describes the process on their website. “Voting members in good dues standing” vote on which records and music videos fit in which categories. “Committees comprised of voting members from all of The Academy’s Chapter cities” decide the final nominations. It all seems fairly clear, until you get the final voting. “To ensure the quality of voting, members are directed to vote only in those Fields in which they are peers of the nominees.” Does this mean that the voters are acquaintances of the contestants?
Many artists and their fans have spoken out about the fairness of the system. Artists have repeatedly stated their case on being overlooked or snubbed of the recognition they deserve. Just two years ago, the Grammy for Album of the Year went to Harry Styles. Many believed that Beyonce’s groundbreaking dance album Renaissance was not awarded the Grammy due to the Grammys history of undervaluing Black artists in major categories.
Other artists including Drake, Frank Ocean and The Weekend have even distanced themselves from the environment due to their skepticism that the Recording Academy awards genres or artists with connections in the industry rather than artistic merit.
So, while the Recording Academy claims to be unbiased and fair, many question whether certain artists are getting the acknowledgement they deserve, or if industry politics will forever be the snubber of Grammys.