Music Awards – Man v Music

In a first for the academy show, stand-in president, Harvey Mason Jr. declared a speech last night, to join together and share the love of music, as it should be loved.

Amongst the controversy and boycotting drama with The Weeknd and Zayn Malik, Mason addressed these concerns in an aid to “build a new Recording Academy that we can be proud of.”

“Tonight I’m here to ask the entire music community to join in – work with us, not against us – as we build a new Recording Academy that we can all be proud of. One that will continue to do the work and serve everyone in the industry. Now we might not get it right 100 percent of the time and we certainly won’t be able to make everyone happy, but we will provide support in times of need.

We will preserve music and educate the next generation. We will advocate for the rights of all creators to make sure they can continue to earn a fair living making music. And we will stand up for what’s right and fight for greater diversity and more equal representation. This is not a vision for tomorrow, but the job for today. Our work is important because music is important.” –

HARVEY MASON JR, Interim President and CEO

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It certainly seems that the GRAMMYs are keeping themselves barely above water, and making us all aware that they themselves are aware of the outcries and rebuttal the award show has recently received. Striving for “greater diversity and more equal representation” – in an age where it seems easier to do so than ever before with our immense talent from all areas – only time will tell if the Recording Academy will set out to what they’ve promised over the next few years.

Let me know if this will ring true, or is merely here-say to protect their image.

Here all the winners from the Grammys 2021:

Questionable nominations; inconsistent qualities – is this the same case of “Popularity over Musicality”?

Record Of The Year

‘Black Parade’, Beyoncé
‘Colors’, Black Pumas
‘Rockstar’, DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
‘Say So’, Doja Cat
‘Everything I Wanted’, Billie Eilish – winner
‘Don’t Start Now’, Dua Lipa
‘Circles’, Post Malone
‘Savage’, Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

Album Of The Year

‘Chilombo’, Jhené Aiko
‘Black Pumas’, Black Pumas
‘Everyday Life’, Coldplay
‘Djesse Vol.3’, Jacob Collier
‘Women In Music Pt. III’, Haim
‘Future Nostalgia’, Dua Lipa
‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’, Post Malone
‘Folklore’, Taylor Swift – winner

Song Of The Year

‘Black Parade’, Beyoncé
‘The Box’, Roddy Ricch
‘Cardigan’, Taylor Swift
‘Circles’, Post Malone
‘Don’t Start Now’, Dua Lipa
‘Everything I Wanted’, Billie Eilish
‘I Can’t Breathe’, H.E.R. – winner
‘If The World Was Ending’, JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels

Best New Artist

Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion – winner

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

‘Un Dia (One Day)’, J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy
‘Intentions’, Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
‘Dynamite’, BTS
‘Rain On Me’, Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – winner
‘Exile’, Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

‘Blue Umbrella’, Daniel Tashian
‘True Love: A Celebration Of Cole Porter’, Harry Connick Jr.
‘American Standard’, James Taylor – winner
‘Unfollow The Rules’, Rufus Wainwright
‘Judy’, Renée Zellweger

Best Pop Vocal Album

‘Changes’, Justin Bieber
‘Chromatica’, Lady Gaga
‘Future Nostalgia’, Dua Lipa – winner
‘Fine Line’, Harry Styles
‘Folklore’, Taylor Swift

Best Dance Recording

‘On My Mind’, Diplo & Sidepiece
‘My High’, Disclosure featuring Aminé & Slowthai
‘The Difference’, Flume featuring Toro y Moi
‘Both Of Us’, Jayda G
’10%’, Kaytranada featuring Kali Uchis – winner

Best Dance/Electronic Album

‘Kick I’, Arca
‘Planet’s Mad’, Baauer
‘Energy’, Disclosure
‘Bubba’, Kaytranada – winner
‘Good Faith’, Madeon

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

‘Axiom’, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
‘Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard’, Jon Batiste
‘Take The Stairs’, Black Violin
‘Americana’, Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin & Bill Frisell
‘Live At The Royal Albert Hall’, Snarky Puppy – winner

Best Rock Performance

‘Shameika’, Fiona Apple – winner
‘Not’, Big Thief
‘Kyoto’, Phoebe Bridgers
‘The Steps’, Haim
‘Stay High’, Brittany Howard
‘Daylight’, Grace Potter

Best Metal Performance

‘Bum-Rush’, Body Count – winner
‘Underneath’, Code Orange
‘The In-Between’, In This Moment
‘Bloodmoney’, Poppy
‘Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Ace) – Live’, Power Trip

Best Rock Song

‘Kyoto’, Phoebe Bridgers
‘Lost In Yesterday’, Tame Impala
‘Not’, Big Thief
‘Shameika’, Fiona Apple
‘Stay High’, Brittany Howard – winner

Best Rock Album

‘A Hero’s Death’, Fontaines D.C.
‘Kiwanuka’, Michael Kiwanuka
‘Daylight’, Grace Potter
‘Sound & Fury’, Sturgill Simpson
‘The New Abnormal’, The Strokes – winner

Best Alternative Music Album

‘Fetch The Boltcutters’, Fiona Apple – winner
‘Hyperspace’, Beck
‘Punisher’, Phoebe Bridgers
‘Jaime’, Brittany Howard
‘The Slow Rush’, Tame Impala

Best R&B Performance

‘Lightning & Thunder’, Jhené Aiko & John Legend
‘Black Parade’, Beyoncé – winner
‘All I Need’, Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
‘Goat Head’, Brittany Howard
‘See Me’, Emily King

Best Traditional R&B Performance

‘Sit On Down’, The Baylor Project featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
‘Wonder What She Thinks Of Me’, Chloe X Halle
‘Let Me Go’, Mykal Kilgore
‘Anything For You’, Ledisi – winner
‘Distance’, Yebba

Best R&B Song

‘Better Than I Imagined’, Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello – winner
‘Black Parade’, Beyoncé
‘Collide’, Tiana Major9 & Earthgang
‘Do It’, Chloe X Halle
‘Slow Down’, Skip Marley & H.E.R.

Best Progressive R&B Album

‘Chilombo’, Jhené Aiko
‘Ungodly Hour’, Chloe X Halle
‘Free Nationals’, Free Nationals
‘Fuck Yo Feelings’, Robert Glasper
‘It Is What It Is’, Thundercat – winner

As they snub favourite artists such as The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar from their acclaimed prizes, sift through the mud of allegations from racism, sexism and a lack in diversity to artist picks – it shows just how unfit they are as judges to music.

With the Grammys receiving such a subjective onslaught each year and as interest rates fall on their overall importance as awards, do the Grammys even matter anymore?

Short answer simply is: no.

Unlike the Oscars, the prestigious academy award for music has seemingly lost its original tact, and is out of touch with the rest of the world. Unlike the Oscars that actually awards films based on glowing prospects, reputations and sheer camera-rolling etiquette, The Grammys is a congruent cess-pit of odd nominations, shameless bigotry and is showing a side to the music industry that is rather ugly.

With so many prestigious and culturally-defining artists in the industry that have been snubbed of such an award (Queen, Bjork, ABBA and Jimi Hendrix to name a few) it is easy to understand why The Grammys has been scrutinised for their lack of desire to produce a decent academy award show to celebrate the best of music – as they choose to instead award their “white friends and counterparts” in the industry – and receive backlash of racism and bigotry because of it – and not the distinctive artists that have made a impact against the status quo of the industry.

Because if they start awarding acts who go against the “system” of upending gender stereotypes (Queen) and make albums that go against their specified genre (The Weeknd) what does that say about the system of the industry itself? Something that cannot be controlled it seems …

*Drake* calls for The Grammys to be replaced after *The Weeknd* snub

But its important to note that something like the Grammys is not so definitely clean-cut like other competitions like the Olympics. When it comes to who sang the most impressive or made a defining moment to the world of music, well then, that becomes a bit more objective. With it, comes the usual backlash and sparks of fury as such an award because it is such an opinionated sport.

But to me, I think this is what makes Grammys not matter most, because at the end of it all, while it is fun to see who will win a Grammy, it ultimately doesn’t affect how we (me included) view an artists’ work. When we listen to a piece of work, do we define how “good” it is if it won a Grammy? No, we think it’s good because it’s simply good music. For me, they are not one and the same.

So with that being said, I think that the sheer novelty of awarding music based on something so objective certainly makes it an easier target than most other award shows. But, let’s be honest, they haven’t helped themselves in the past, have they?

Let me know what you think to this topic of conversation – and more importantly, will you be watching tonight?

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Former suspended CEO stating on how ‘rigged’ the ceremony is …

Grammy’s controversial moments show just how implausible it is as an awards ceremony …