The Grammys, a celebration of corruption

The Grammy’s are a hallmark in musical culture. Not only does it say who is “the best of the best”, but it also dictates who will get the biggest music sales that year. The Grammy nominations have long been a source of contention. More often than not certain Artists are overlocked because of a lack of diversity, money, and the political games that the Grammys play. The Grammys continually disregard specific artists and music, over categorizing predominantly 'pop' artists of color as 'urban,' and so on.

It's difficult to recall a year when not only the artists but also their fans, recognized the nominations as fair. In January of 2020, an Equal Opportunity Commission lawsuit was filed in which departed Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan accused the Grammys of corruption, claiming that "members of the board [of trustees] and the secret committees chose musicians with whom they have personal or business relationships."

This is an accusation that is well-founded. The Grammy’s has had a history of secret committees making decisions outside of the main one. In 2021 the Grammy Awards' organizers are putting an end to so-called "secret" committees, which The Weeknd and other pop singers have said contributed to the rigging of the music awards presentation.

Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy's chairman and Interim President, and Chief Executive described 2021 as an "extraordinary, revolutionary" year for the organization.

"This is a new Academy," he added, "one that is driven to action and has doubled down on its commitment to fulfilling the demands of the music community."

The Recording Academy has announced that it has made substantial modifications to its Awards process in order to reflect its continuous commitment to evolving with the musical landscape and ensuring that the GRAMMY Awards criteria and standards are transparent.

The abolition of Nominations Review Committees, a reduction in the number of categories in which people may vote, the inclusion of two GRAMMY Award categories, and other adjustments are among the changes.

These modifications are the product of intensive conversations and collaboration among a special subcommittee of Recording Academy members and elected officials over the last year and were approved by the Academy's Board of Trustees. These adjustments were apparently implemented immediately for the 2022 GRAMMY Awards show.

The results of the winners have yet to drive controversy or contention. But with the awards not too far behind us, we will certainly have to wait and see.