The record of celebrities who’ve spoken out in opposition to the Grammys grows longer yearly, to the purpose the place boycotting the award present appears to have develop into a pattern — albeit an comprehensible one, if we might say so.
Most not too long ago, the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey, has joined this ever-growing record of critics. Though her feud with the Grammys is making information now, the roots of this grudge stretch again 28 years proper to the height of her profession. All of it started when Carey was nominated in six classes again in 1996, however walked away empty-handed, understandably severing her ties with North America’s largest music awards present.
“One yr — an enormous yr for me, career-wise — I had like six nominations with the Daydream album, together with ‘One Candy Day,’ ‘At all times Be My Child,’ and ‘Fantasy,’” she instructed the LA Instances, referring to her fifth studio album, which featured a number of chart-topping singles — those she aforementioned. NPR has even since ranked this album as probably the greatest created and helmed by a feminine artist.
Naturally, with such excessive reward from music critics, many assumed Carey would take house a minimum of one award. In truth, Carey herself believed in order nicely, however she couldn’t have been extra mistaken. “Then I sat there the entire time and didn’t get something. I used to be like, ‘This isn’t enjoyable. However what can I do? Be a sore loser and say, ‘F the Grammys’? No matter. If they provide me extra Grammys, I’ll like them extra,” she stated.
Now, practically three many years later, followers on X have voiced their help for Carey’s choice to distance herself from the Grammys, accusing the present of utilizing her title for publicity. “Nobody cares concerning the scammies, the entire world is aware of Mariah. Her legacy will dwell on endlessly,” one fan posted. One other wrote, “She spent six months at primary on the Scorching 100 chart that yr. She undoubtedly deserved to win.”
Carey’s case is only one instance of the Grammys leveraging celeb names to attach viewers to the display screen. Regardless of being the most important music award present in America, numerous celebrities have turned their backs on the manufacturing. In 2019, Drake grew to become one of many many artists to publicly criticize the Grammys — all whereas attending the award present.
“All you unimaginable artists, keep in mind this present isn’t the information, it’s simply the opinion of a gaggle of individuals [whose] names are saved a secret.”
The record is way longer than you may think. Musicians like The Weeknd, Charli XCX, Zayn Malik, Halsey, Tyler, the Creator, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande, and Eminem have all voiced their criticisms of the award present — for varied causes. Probably the most frequent complaints is the Grammys’ tendency to ask artists to the occasion with out nominating them or giving them apparent indication that they may really win — just for the alternative to occur.
The concept that the Grammys selectively provide nominations and awards has been a serious level of criticism for artists like Zayn and Eminem, who’ve overtly mentioned the present’s biases. “They’re at all times pitching this trace that you just may win Album of the Yr, which was once an enormous deal. I don’t suppose it’s an enormous deal now,” Eminem instructed Billboard in 2020.
Nevertheless it isn’t simply the celebrities themselves who actively select to criticize the award present. In 2022, followers of South Korean group BTS started boycotting the Grammys after the manufacturing repeatedly nominated the group through the years and invited them to carry out — solely to schedule their appearances on the finish of the present with out awarding them.