Allegations of racism in the Grammy Awards, as expressed in award selections, have frequently been the target of criticism going back to its inception in 1957. These accusations have been highlighted by several controversial voting results, and the controversial voting process itself. Many of these allegations have yet to be proven directly. However, they have caused numerous speculations.
The Grammy Award, as presented by the Recording Academy, is an award that recognizes achievement within all facets of the music industry. It covers all major genres and recognizes performances of albums and songs, songwriting, and new artists. Criticism of the Grammys has covered various aspects, with accusations of racial bias by media outlets and fans having been brought up for decades.
Since the inception of the Grammys in 1957, only eleven black artists have won the Album of the Year Award: Stevie Wonder (Innervisions in 1974, Fulfillingness' First Finale in 1975, Songs in the Key of Life in 1977), Michael Jackson (Thriller in 1984), Lionel Richie (Can't Slow Down in 1985), Quincy Jones (Back on the Block in 1991), Natalie Cole (Unforgettable... with Love in 1992), Whitney Houston ( in 1994), Lauryn Hill (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999), Outkast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2004), Ray Charles (Genius Loves Company in 2005), Herbie Hancock ( in 2008), and Jon Batiste (We Are in 2022).[1] From 2012 to 2020, statistics showed that black artists received only 26.7% of nominations for the awards show while they represented over 38% of all artists on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[2]
There have been several best album wins that have been questioned including Beyoncé's self-titled album's loss in 2015 to Beck's Morning Phase for Album of the Year, Lemonade
The Grammys has also been criticized in the past for failing to nominate famous artists of color, such as The Weeknd. The Academy's failure to nominate the Weeknd's work came as a major surprise considering the widespread success of his 2020 album After Hours and its single, "Blinding Lights". The track set numerous records, including spending 40 weeks within the top ten in the U.S., four of which the song was at number one, and spending 28 weeks in the top five.[11] After it received no nominations from the Recording Academy, the Weeknd wrote "The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency".[12]
The voting process for the Grammy Awards has seen much criticism over the years. The voting committees are made up of hundreds of musical experts, including musicians, producers, engineers, and songwriters. Members of the Recording Academy will submit their picks for nomination, which will then be screened by 350 individuals to ensure that the nominee is placed in the correct category and eligible for a potential award. Members are then asked to vote in up to 15 genre categories and four general categories. The votes are sent to independent accounting firm Deloitte to be tallied, and a comprehensive list is sent back to the Recording Academy to be voted upon for a final time. These ballots are again counted by Deloitte and the winners are sealed until the night of the awards.[13]
Controversy has been raised over the fact that members vote for works in categories outside of their expertise, and this occurs because they are required to vote on a certain number of categories to maintain membership. Rob Kenner, a Grammy screener, described an "unwritten rule" among committee members to be cautious nominating an album by an already well-known artist if they did not want that album to eventually win an award. Kenner claims that voting members are more likely to select an album based on its popularity and name recognition, even if they have never heard the music before.[14]
Another controversial aspect of the voting process focuses on the lack of transparency regarding the composition of voting committees. The nominations for a wide variety of categories are shaped by many committees, but little is known about who are on these committees, how they are formed, or who puts them together. Looking on the official Grammy website provides no further clarity, thus obscuring the process further.[15]