
10 Problems With The Grammy Awards And How To Fix Them
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The Grammys Have Not Repaired Their Relationship With Hip-Hop
The Grammys’ strained relationship with hip-hop goes back many years, beginning in earnest in 1989 when DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince boycotted the awards due to the only rap award being announced during the non-televised portion of the show. Things have gotten progressively worse from there. From Macklemore & Ryan Lewis being awarded the ‘Best Rap Album’ instead of Kendrick Lamar’s consensus classic Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City in 2014 to most Grammy telecasts only featuring one rap performance, the show has never endeared itself to the rap community. Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich said ahead of the 2019 show that the event is still trying to figure out its relationship with hip-hop, some three decades on from the original boycott. “The fact of the matter is, we continue to have a problem in the hip-hop world,” Ehrlich told the New York Times. “When they don’t take home the big prize, the regard of the academy, and what the Grammys represent, continues to be less meaningful to the hip-hop community, which is sad.” And the problems keep getting worse with former Grammys CEO claiming the academy is ripe with sexism and discrimination, something many have speculated about over the years.
How To Fix It
Get the controllable elements right. The Heist winning ‘Best Rap Album’ did little to grow credibility within the hip-hop community, and the continued excuse of offering hip-hop artists slots on the show and them declining is waning. Did Drake decline? Too bad but hip-hop extends well beyond Aubrey. What about Future? Da Baby? J. Cole? If the show was really after a viral hip-hop moment this year and one that could help repair its relationship with the genre, give a platform to Shady Records and have Eminem, Boogie, and Griselda hit the stage to show the past and future of the genre. This year’s Nipsey tribute will serve significantly to show that the awards are in tune with the genre and build a new foundation that they can hopefully build on in years to come. It’s just unfortunate someone like Nipsey didn’t have the chance to touch the Grammy stage while he was still here. In addition, the Grammys should also right the wrongs where the heist on rap awards cost genre-defining classics their rightful place in history in favor of vanilla music that didn’t even stand the test of a year following its award, let alone time as a whole.
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The Performers Aren't Relevant
Let’s have a look at the list of performers slated for the 2020 Grammy Awards on January 26th: Aerosmith, Camilla Cabello, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Lizzo, Bonnie Raitt, Rosalia, RUN-D.M.C., Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Tyler The Creator, Charlie Wilson, Nipsey Hussle Tribute
Nipsey tribute aside, if most collective music fans’ opinions around this list were an emoji, it would be the shrug emoji. How many times can awards shows trot out the same artists? From Camilla Cabello to Ariana Grande to Demi Lovato, we’ve seen this movie before. One thing the Grammy Awards used to have going for it more than any other award show was the collaborations and element of surprise. From the much talked about Eminem and Elton John collaboration in 2001 to Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons mashing up “Radioactive” and “m.A.A.d City” in 2014, the show used to create anticipation each year where fans wondered what once-in-a-lifetime collaborations they were going to see. Looking at this year, the Grammys have paired Aerosmith and RUN-D.M.C. together as their safe go-to rock/rap collabo, and for some reason, they think there is high-demand from people to see Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton perform together. That’s not a surprise collaboration. That’s an episode of ‘The Voice.’
How To Fix It
The prevalent issue with Grammy performers is that while they technically represent all genres, they don’t truly represent the “now” in each genre. Save for Tyler, The Creator, is this truly the best the music industry had to offer in 2019? Where is DaBaby? Where is Maren Morris, who made history this year for the most streams for a female-fronted country album’s debut in the chart’s history for her album ‘Girl’? Where is Lil’ Nas X? He's nominated but not performing. Where is Khalid? The list goes on from there. Looking at the 2020 performers, one has to wonder where this year’s talked-about moment will come from.
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The Show Is Way Too Long
The 2019 Grammy Awards clocked in at an exhausting three hours and 45 minutes. Look to any successful entertainment event or property, and most of them have worked to get their run times down to meet the short attention spans of an ever digitally bombarded and distracted audience. Major sports have implemented measures to get game times to the two and a half hour or less mark and film executive Jeffrey Katzenberg is getting ready to launch Quibi, his new short-form video mobile platform that is spending over $1 billion on new content. The logic of the Grammys wanting to attract a younger, more relevant music audience and still producing a show that somehow can’t come to conclusion in three hours or less doesn’t add up.
How To Fix It
Put together a tightly-produced two-hour show each year that people can look forward to instead of dreading a drawn-out marathon. Sure, it will cut down on the number of ever-popular (insert sarcasm here) Grammy tease with the promise of your favorite artist “up next” and they don’t end hitting stage until into the 3-hour mark of the show. But the positives will likely be an increase in ratings and as demand grows for the show once again, the Grammys shouldn’t have any problem getting artists to show up if they know it will mean direct impact on streams and exposure.
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Lose The Host Or Use A-List Entertainers
What do Frank Sinatra, Rosie O’Donnell, and LL Cool J have in common? They all have hosted the Grammy Awards. And save for “old blue eyes”, there is little logic in the history of Grammy Awards hosts. The 60s, 70s, and 80s primarily saw recording artists hosting the event while the 90s brought a mixed bag of comedians and actors (Billy Crystal? really?). The ’00s went back to recording artists hosting with LL Cool J holding the gig for six years straight. But it was the host the show had from 2006 - 2011 where they seemed to come closest to getting it right. That host? No one. No corny monologues. No forced banter. No “bits” from non-comedians. This year sees Alicia Keys returning as host, and while she did a serviceable job last year, is anyone tuning in to see Alicia Keys host?
How To Fix It
The Grammys has two simple paths forward concerning hosting. 1.) Put the music at the forefront again and remove the host. Allow presenters to keep the flow of the show going but remove the needless segments in between what people ultimately care about, the performances, and the awards. 2.) Give people a host to tune in for. Kevin Hart, Eddie Murphy, Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Ellen (who did host in 1996 and 1997) – all these names would ultimately be a draw.
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The Show Is Too Cemented In Los Angeles And New York
Yes, technically, Los Angeles and New York are still the business hubs of the music industry. Yet, as streaming continues to explode and new artists are discovered the world over via social networks like Tik Tok, the rules are evolving and changing. No longer does the fat cat in his corner office in L.A. or New York control what music fans hear. It might be a 15-year-old with 100,000 playlist followers living in Wisconsin putting you on to the latest wave, or some kid throwing a hip-hop/country mash-up called “Old Town Road” onto Soundcloud that becomes the biggest song of 2019. Outside of ease of executive travel, there is little reason to cement the Grammys in NYC or L.A.
How To Fix It
Want to bring relevancy back to the Grammy Awards? Take the show on the road. It would expose the live show to other audiences, and taking the show to other music meccas like Atlanta, Nashville, Toronto, or Chicago would generate additional press. Open up the show to new performers who purposely shun the cliched location of the yearly event, and going a step further, allow the Grammys to put a spotlight on a local music scene each year. In addition, live stream the show online for free and work out stronger digital-forward delivery methods for the program. News flash: young music fans aren’t glued to CBS and many don’t even have cable.
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Voting Process Hasn't Changed With The Music Business
On its surface, the Grammy voting process is simple. Academy members vote on the first-round ballot; nominations review committees determine final nominees, and then members vote on a final ballot. The issue revolves around the nominations review committee, a part in the process that is shrouded in secrecy where the will of the voting members can be overturned in favor of nominees brought forth by the committee. This speaks to one of the most significant issues with the Grammys in recent memory: people don’t know what the award represents. This is in contrast to the Billboard Music Awards, as an example, where the winners are very clearly determined based on album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring, and social engagement. In other words, it’s a business award given to those doing the most business. Is there artistic merit in that? That’s another debate, but at least those watching the show know what the artists are being awarded for; the Grammys not so much.
How To Fix It
The likelihood of the legacy voting process behind the Grammy Awards going away is slim. The academy did create the rap specific review committee in 2018; however, the committee process is entrenched in the academy and likely will be for years before it changes. The Grammys need to give more visibility into the review committee process, sharing video of the process on social media and live streaming the selection process so that fans and artists alike can better understand why they are or aren’t being nominated and ultimately what it means to win an award.
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The Grammys Aren't Producing The Show For The Audience They Want
In 2019, the Grammy Awards hit new all-time rating lows with adults 18-49 and largely remained flat against 2018 for total viewership. And it’s no wonder, looking back to comments made by show producer Ken Ehrlich heading into the 2016 version of the show where he said he was confident the 18-49 demo would watch a show that skewed older in its artists and performers. Well, they haven’t, and the “music’s biggest night” tagline has almost become laughable in a streaming first recording industry. In reality, music’s biggest night for music fans could be Monday night at home playing your favorite songs or a Friday night party. The Grammys are not music’s biggest night for music fans anymore; it’s music’s biggest night for the recording industry elite. As the saying goes, “dreams don’t work unless you do,” and the Grammys hoping for a barrage of viewers in the 18-49 demo without actually doing anything to attract them seems like a pipe dream.
How To Fix It
The Grammy Awards aren’t “cool” anymore. Cool is many times one of those intangible things that one can’t put their finger on. But until the show finds its cool, it’s going to see ratings continue to decline. One way to fix this would be to partner with proven people that know cool to produce the show. Imagine a Grammy Awards produced by Jordan Peele and Rick Rubin or Ice Cube and Frank Dukes. Have rotating producer roles each year with one person responsible for the visual and performance aspect and one person responsible for the production of the music programming. Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich has announced that he will be stepping down following the 2020 ceremony. The time for change is now.
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Acceptance Speeches Have Become Irrelevant
The scene was the 2019 Grammy Awards, and those responsible for putting together the show were overcome with joy that Drake had decided to show up. And then, Drake won the award for ‘Best Rap Song.’
He commenced to deliver an acceptance speech that called out the issues with the Grammys and awards shows in general. Drake made the point that if an artist had built a fan base and had people singing their songs, then they had already won and didn’t need an award for validation. For his part, Drake had his mic cut off effectively ending one of the show’s more exciting moments and very likely cementing the fact that Drake won’t be showing up to the show for years to come.
How To Fix It
If artists are going to be given a platform, then provide them with the platform to speak. Not only does unfiltered opinion make for a more exciting show, but it begs the question: what is the point of acceptance speeches if artists are going to be cut-off midway through because they’ve expressed an opinion that doesn’t align to the elitist ways of the Academy? The Drake incident made it clear that the idea of acceptance speeches at award shows has become irrelevant. Younger viewers wouldn’t even notice if they removed them and it would serve to keep the show flowing even quicker if key winners were announced and the show got back to what people watched it for, to begin with - the performances.
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A-Listers Don't Want To Attend. Why Invite Anyone At All?
The Grammys have struggled over recent years to get A-list artists to attend. Time magazine summed it up nicely following last year’s notable absences like Jay Z, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift by saying, “the Grammys need these artists more than these artists need the Grammys.” And it’s true. There is little career benefit for these artists to be attending the show anymore, especially when so many younger music fans see it as being out of touch. A Pitchfork article from 2019 looked at the often mentioned “grammy bump,” which refers to the increase in sales (or streams) an artist receives by winning a Grammy or appearing on the show. A 20+ year music industry veteran interviewed for the article, who is also a voting member of the academy, said that a “Grammy, more than ever, is worthless.”
How To Fix It
The Grammy Awards need to be a celebration of music for music fans. Only artists performing or presenting on the show should attend, and the audience should be filled with one group: music fans. Make it a glorified concert with set changes being the opportunity to hand out key awards. The Grammy’s could produce a show without worrying about who was or wasn't showing up (they would know each year who to expect), wouldn’t hold artists and other record industry people hostage for almost 4 hours if they didn’t need to be there and would ensure a freshness to the show each year.
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They Stopped The Best Female Rap Solo Performance Award
Everyone remembers the #GrammysSoMale hashtag that ran rampant during the 2018 version of the show which spoke to the male dominance of the show. Across the ‘00s, the Grammys moved away from gender-driven awards in favor of all-encompassing categories that could be won by males or females. It was a pleasant change and one that aimed to bring more gender equality to the industry, but it hasn’t necessarily worked out as intended, at least on the rap side of things. The award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance was given out only twice during the 45th and 46th Grammy Awards, awarded to Missy Elliott in both years. The male and female rap solo awards were consolidated into the existing ‘Best Rap Solo Performance’ award from 2005 - 2011, where a female artist was not awarded, and during those years, a female artist, Elliott again, was nominated only once in 2007.
How To Fix It
Reverting back to gender-specific awards seems like regression. but the Grammys need to figure out how to show recognition for female rap artists not named Cardi B or Nicki Minaj, such as Young M.A. In a tight rap category, there are no female nominees in 2020 save for Cardi B as a featured artist on Offset’s ‘Clout’ nominated for Best Rap Performance. One suggestion would be for the Grammys to evaluate category-by-category and genre-by-genre the history of the award and whether there has been fair male/female representation and the instances where there hasn’t, such as the rap awards, consider building in additional opportunities.