Every year, at the end of the Grammys ceremony, there always seems to be confusion from the general public about the winners and losers. From artists going home empty-handed to some outperforming expectations, at times, it feels like the Academy is out of loop with public consensus. However, from my perspective, I feel I am more grounded on what to expect each year.
A crucial thing to note is that there are 13,000 members of the Recording Academy, which, if you were watching this year’s ceremony, was an aspect they kept repeating before each award presentation. But to break down those voters, the largest share of its members, 27 percent, vote specifically in pop, which might help explain the prominence of pop records each year. However, with many pop records getting nominated each year in the general field, the numbers become slimmer for one to win as the large share of pop voters get divided among themselves. If you take past ceremonies like 2022, 4 out of the 10 nominees for Album of the Year were also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, with 3 other pop adjacent records nominated, making a majority of the Album of the Year nominees pop. I was not surprised that the year’s recipient, We Are by Jon Batiste, an R&B album, was not a stunning upset. That year, Batiste was the year’s most nominated artist in categories like R&B, Jazz, and American Roots, which helped explain why his base ended up supporting him in such a pop-dominant category.
Another aspect of the Grammys that has become important to remember seems simplistic but is worth telling: the awards given in the main ceremony. Many might only check out the awards given out in the main televised ceremony; however, with a majority of the awards being given out in the pre-show ceremony, the ones awarded in the main televised ceremony become crucial to note. The biggest winners of the night, unless there are special circumstances, are limited to two speeches. This can easily be dismissed as “sharing the love” with each artist. However, on other occasions, this is done deliberately for specific artists to have their moment of recognition. In 2024, the R&B song category was moved from its usual pre-show ceremony place to the main ceremony, which allowed SZA to give her only acceptance speech of the evening, even though she was one of the most nominated artists that year.
Throughout the last few years, where fan behavior has run rampant, I can’t help but notice people’s perceptions of “Grammy Darlings.” This term has been polarizing, especially for people dictating who is and who isn’t a “Grammy Darling,” or someone the Academy frequently awards. Every single year, I see someone mention an artist who isn’t a darling because they didn’t win a specific award. However, from my perspective, an artist doesn’t have to win for every single project for them to be considered musicians recognized regularly, mainly because, at times, even Grammy heavyweights succumb to tougher competition. This competition can be regarded as more commercially successful, critically acclaimed, or culturally relevant.
Outside of the various aspects of competition, another dominant factor in Grammy campaigning is having a good narrative. These narratives can span from the breakout new artist changing the music industry with their debut album to a veteran who has been overlooked many times but has released an album like nothing before. Whatever the case may be, voters having an incentive to vote for an artist makes the difference. As an alternative, a musical act can receive nominations in several categories. However, if there isn’t a motivating factor or a reason to award, it can be easily dismissed for a better opportunity whenever that may happen.
As much as there’s bewilderment at the results of the Grammys each year, there’s also an opportunity to recognize that there’s a method to the madness or recognize the repetitive behaviors made. The different factors, from the group of nominees, the presented awards, or what the Academy tends to disregard, can allow more people to be well-equipped on awards night.
