Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: An Ongoing Battle for the Grammys
The Grammys, an award show that began in 1959, has had a longstanding history of not representing people of color and genres that people of color typically occupy. It took the Grammys 30 years after starting in 1989 to introduce the first rap award, being the Best Rap Performance. However, the Grammy committees and Recording Academy continue to miss the mark in uplifting and recognizing people of color, with many artists boycotting the Grammys to demonstrate the injustice.
Will Smith and D.J. Jazzy Jeff were the first to be nominated for the Best Rap Performance with their hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” however, Smith and Jeff alongside other nominees opted to boycott the award as the Grammys chose to not televise it. As Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings stated, “the Recording Academy had very little respect for the category. We didn’t care what the industry thought: we liked our status as alternative.”
Looking ahead at 2019, Childish Gambino made Grammy history by winning both song and record of the year for “This is America.” However, Gambino declined to attend or perform at the Grammys, to represent the divide and prejudice towards black people. As Glover was awarded the reward, one of his collaborators, 21 Savage, was unable to attend the award ceremony as he was being detained by US officials for an expired visa. This situation demonstrates the essence of America Gambino is speaking to, revealing a stark divide and injustice towards people of color.
Now, in 2021, The Weeknd, who recently performed at the Super Bowl, boycotted the Grammys as he was not nominated for a single Grammy. The Weeknd stated that “because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.” The Weeknd joins countless others including Drak, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West, as well as Will Smith and Childish Gambino in boycotting the Grammys and the industry to fight for their music community and justice within the industry and America as a whole.
Although the Grammys still has strides to make in representing all artists equally with awards, air time, and performances, the 2021 Grammys proved to be headed in a better direction. This past Sunday night, R&B and rap consisted of 5 and 4 awards respectively, providing people of color, who typically represent these categories, an opportunity to be heard. Two of the four major awards were given to black, female artists, being: H.E.R for Song of the Year and Megan the Stallion for Best New Artist. Additionally, an array of black artists were asked to perform from Cardi B and Megan the Stallion, Mickey Guyton, DaBaby, and Lil Baby, with Guyton making history as the first black female solo country singer to perform at the show.
The development of a greater diversity in awards and performances is monumental for the Grammys, pointing them in the right direction of creating a more fair and equal system for well-deserving artists. However, the Grammys and the entertainment industry still have immense strides to make in uplifting and supporting people of color.
Author: Anna Johnson