LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Grammy Awards have lengthy been criticized over a scarcity of variety, with a historical past of artists of colour, ladies, and rap and R&B musicians being snubbed for high prizes. Sunday’s version suggests one thing might have shifted.
Beyoncé, probably the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys historical past, lastly received album of the 12 months for her country-and-then-some album, “Cowboy Carter,” furthering her dedication to recentering Black artwork in common tradition. Kendrick Lamar took residence two of the highest 4 prizes of the evening, celebrating hip-hop on a present that has traditionally uncared for the style. The Grammys positioned younger pop performers within the highlight in the mean time of their ascent, assembly the up to date music second.
The Recording Academy has made concerted efforts to diversify lately. Might it’s these strides have already paid off in a course correction? Or had been the 2025 Grammys merely a one-off?
A feud squashed
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. appeared onstage to handle “some real criticism” going through the group behind the Grammys.
“Artists were pretty vocal with their complaints,” he stated, reaching again to 2020: “The Weeknd called out the academy for lack of transparency in our awards. He went so far as to announce he was boycotting the Grammys.”
5 years could make a world of distinction. On the finish of his speech, Mason launched The Weeknd as a shock performer, making his first look on the Grammys since 2017.
His return recommended approval of a brand new voting class — a number of presenters took care to notice that the awards had been determined by greater than 13,000 voting members.
Peter A. Berry, a music journalist with work in XXL and Advanced, believes that studying could be too pat, although. “He performed to promote his new album,” he stated, referencing The Weeknd’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” That timing aligned with the Grammys’ want to focus on its reform.
“I can’t remove my cynical music industry lens,” he says. “Time heals all wounds when you need promo.”
A extra various voting physique
Of the Recording Academy’s present voting membership, 66% are males, 49% are white and 66% are over the age of 40. However the academy introduced final 12 months that 3,000 feminine voting members had been added since 2019. Two-thirds of the overall voting physique joined within the final 5 years. In that very same time, the academy has elevated the variety of members who determine as folks of colour by 63%, with 100% progress in Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, 90% progress in Black voters and 43% progress in Latino voters.
On the 2024 Grammys, ladies dominated the main classes and consequently, each televised aggressive Grammy went to no less than one lady. It appeared to mirror up to date curiosity in feminine pop performers — Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Victoria Monét and Karol G, amongst them. In 2025, that development continued. Girls obtained each single televised award on Sunday evening except Lamar’s and one shared between Girl Gaga and Bruno Mars.
“They got it right this year,” Berry says. “Maybe it is that the voting committee changed.”
Nominees and winners mirror up to date curiosity
The nominations introduced in November acknowledged the artists who led the dialog in 2024. Beyoncé was celebrated with 11 nominations, what Kinitra D. Brooks — a tutorial and writer of “The Lemonade Reader” — says was the results of voters lastly recognizing “this is clearly someone who deserves the respect of her peers.”
Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, experiencing breakout years, obtained six nods every. The ever-present, discourse-dominating “Not Like Us” from Lamar and Charli xcx’s “BRAT” additionally obtained recognition.
And that translated to awards. There have been quite a few first-time award winners, many ladies and other people of colour like Doechii, Carin León and Sierra Ferrell. Within the comparatively new songwriter of the 12 months, non-classical class, Amy Allen turned the primary lady to take residence the trophy.
A transfer in the precise course for hip-hop
“Not Like Us” was an early winner on the Grammys’ Premiere Ceremony, receiving trophies for music video, rap track and rap efficiency. It marked his seventh time successful in that final class. But it surely was his presence throughout the primary broadcast that basically made a splash. One of many greatest world hits of 2024, his Drake diss monitor received track and report of the 12 months — solely the second hip-hop single to ever win report of the 12 months. By the tip of the evening, “Not Like Us” had received all 5 awards for which it was nominated.
Lamar’s recognitions arrived the 12 months after Jay-Z criticized the Grammys for ignoring the rap legends earlier than him — those that introduced hip-hop to the preeminent music award present, solely to have rap classes not make the official broadcast.
“We want you all to get it right,” Jay-Z stated final 12 months. “At least get it close to right.”
Berry describes Lamar’s wins as “a layup,” a celebration of one of many nice rap information of current historical past.
And although Lamar’s wins meant extra hip-hop on the published, Berry says the Grammys’ hip-hop picks are usually predictable. He says there’s a “cookie cutter” components for the sort of rappers the Recording Academy acknowledges.
“The more esoteric and abstract rap,” in addition to “the mid-level street rap,” goes largely ignored, he says.
Course-correcting the most important blind spot
Beyoncé’s album of the 12 months victory was extensively thought lengthy overdue. The celebrity had 4 of her albums nominated within the class earlier than successful on her fifth.
She seemingly alluded to it in her acceptance speech: “It’s been many, many years,” she stated.
“I Am… Sasha Fierce” misplaced to Taylor Swift for “Fearless” in 2010. In 2015, her self-titled album “Beyoncé” misplaced to Beck’s “Morning Phase” and Harry Kinds’ “Harry’s House” beat “Renaissance” in 2023. Maybe most infamously, although, was the lack of “Lemonade” to Adele’s “25.”
“I can’t possibly accept this award. And I’m very humbled, and I’m very grateful and gracious, but my artist of my life is Beyoncé,” Adele stated in her 2017 acceptance speech, holding again tears.
In successful album of the 12 months Sunday, Beyoncé turned the primary Black lady to win the highest prize within the twenty first century. The final was Lauryn Hill with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” 26 years in the past. Earlier than her had been Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, and the record ends there.
Brooks believes “Beyoncé reflects that Black women can be excellent and still ignored in very particular ways — because this is a top honor in her field.”
Emily Lordi, a Vanderbilt College professor whose focus is African American literature and Black common music, describes “Cowboy Carter” as “an album with a capital A — one that explicitly aims to restore the Black roots and routes of country, a genre long coded as white. It is the kind of historic intervention the academy could not fail to recognize — it was undeniable.”
Berry factors to the truth that the report’s nation affect might have aligned with the academy’s traditionalist voters — but additionally appealed to these impressed by its break with conference.
“It is some cosmic justice being done,” says Berry. “It might not be the best Bey album, but it was the best of the category.”
Even Grammys’ host Trevor Noah couldn’t assist however acknowledge the milestone: “We finally saw it happen, everyone,” he stated. That, we did.
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