This year’s Grammy awards had multiple stars winning big, but these successes did not come without controversy from fans and other artists.
This night honors the best compositions and recordings released from September 16, 2023 to August 30, 2024, along with the artists who contributed to the creation of these pieces. During this eligibility period, certain albums were released and received nominations, while others did not gain praise, inciting some controversy, For example, Ariana Grande’s hit album “Eternal Sunshine” received no nominations from critics at the ceremony, leaving fans stunned. While other albums such as Jacob Collier’s “Djesse Vol.4”, received an Album of the Year nomination, leaving viewers even more confused. “I had never heard of him before his Grammy nomination, so seeing him even get nominated above Ariana Grande was really a shock,” said Junior Blake Weter. Overall, certain categories had very odd winners that nobody could’ve predicted, but who is voting for these awards?
More than 13,000 members of the Recording Academy vote every year, including fellow musicians, producers, and lyricists. Though this amount may seem generous, it helps to ensure the legitimacy of the Grammys’, and eliminates viewer claims of bias. To qualify as a member, the individual must be currently working in the music industry and show proof of a primary career along with two recommendations from peers. Members must also pay an annual subscription of $150. The past five former winners of a Grammy award, however, have the credit requirement waived. With so many individuals participating in the large voting categories, people wonder how anyone can deny the nominations.
The Weeknd, as an example, decided to boycott the Grammys in March of 2021 after his album “After Hours” and the single “Blinding Lights” received no nominations. He expressed his frustration through social media, calling the awards corrupt and lacking transparency. This year, he left fans shocked as he made a surprise performance singing “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” with Playboi Carti. He performed after Harvey Mason Jr., chief executive officer of the Recording Academy introduced him, and acknowledged his valid criticism. He mentions that the Grammy electorate is now younger and more than 3,000 women members were added, helping with The diversity of voters.
Grammy 5th-consecutive host Trevor Noah, made some controversial marks as well during the ceremony regarding the voting process. He says, “We’re going to be honoring the best in music as voted on by the 13,000 members of the Recording Academy, and 20 million illegal immigrants.” This resulted in multiple artists rolling their eyes and giving disgusted faces to him as some have voiced they feel no human should be described as, illegal.
The biggest debate this year was Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter”, released March 29, 2024. With over 11 nominations and three victories for Best Country Album, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and Album of the Year. In winning, she became the first Black woman in the 21st century to win in this category with Lauren Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” winning in 1999. Despite her first victory, this category is no mystery to Beyoncé as she has been nominated over 4 times before. “This album truly was great, but Beyoncé has been snubbed so many times before, I feel like her Lemonade album should’ve been the one to get her the win,” said Sophomore Sydney Leath. So where is the controversy?
Other nominees for Album of the Year include Billie Eilish with her 2024 album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”. Some viewers felt that this album was truly deserving of the prestigious award and should’ve won over Cowboy Carter. This sparked debate between the fandoms as they went to the social media platform “Tik Tok” to voice their feelings. One Beyoncé fan wrote, “Y’all Billie stans are getting TOO confident about your opinion and forget your talking about THE BEYONCE.” With a commenter replying, “51 writers,” seemingly shaming the singer and trying to hint that she is not capable of writing her own album. One Billie fan posted, “Who even listened to Cowboy Carter fr?” “This year I just feel that Billie’s music was superior to Beyoncé’s release,” said Sophomore Kailey Michaelson. Overall, the two fandoms seem to have a growing feud over the victory, though this does not affect who won.
Another controversial category was Best Country Album, with Beyoncé also securing the victory. With artists like Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson being nominated, the frustration of fans is definitely present as they believe her album was simply not country. Other fans defended her, saying she got inspiration from original black country artists, and that not everyone will understand. During Beyoncé’s acceptance speech, she voiced how genres are simply a code word to keep artists in place, and many of her fans are saying the country fans just ignored what she said.
Other victories like Chappell Roan’s Best New Artist sparked some minor issues as some fans felt Sabrina Carpenter was more deserving. Fans came to Chappell’s defense, though, as they claimed Sabrina has been releasing music since 2018 and is not new to the industry, which is true. She did rise to fame throughout 2024, but her release of albums is something she knows all too well.
Ultimately, while fans continue to debate on social media, The Recording Academy’s choices reflect the collective voice of its voting members, solidifying the Grammy Awards as a pillar in the ever-changing music industry.
