Every year, record companies and academy members turn in entries to be considered for possible awards. The awards are given yearly to eligible music artists, recognizing their albums, records, ability as an artist and more. The Grammys will be held on Feb. 4 on CBS with comedian Trevor Noah hosting. According to Statista, 12.4 million Americans watched the Grammy Awards ceremony in 2023.
“I don’t believe the Grammys define an artist’s talent and success,” freshman Danica Dy said. “It shows how popular an artist is and what type of music people are into currently.”
Awards & Shows states that winning a Grammy Award is honorable and can also increase the popularity of an artist. When Taylor Swift won a Grammy for her album “1989,” album sales went up by 91%, per Billboard Charts.
“Taylor Swift has many good albums, but the ‘Midnights’ album was overrated,” Dy said. “I would’ve chosen the ‘1989’ album instead for the nominations.”
According to data from Spotify. mentioned in Soundcharts, only 36% of the Grammy winners are popular among music listeners. For example, Adele, U2, and Vince Gill may win Grammys, but Mariah Carey, Coldplay, and Bruno Mars win to be the most streamed artists.
“There’s a lot of good music out there which doesn’t get recognition in the Grammys, like underground artists and I think many artists and albums get chosen because they’re more popular,” junior Emmy Williams said.
The music industry’s trends are changing quickly, which has a big influence on the Grammys. According to PrimeSound, people ages 13 to 34 listen to the most pop rock and rap music making it the most trending. The change in technology usage, including social media, allows more people to discover different genres or artists.
“Personally I believe the Grammys don’t show the current music industry well enough, just because certain music is popular doesn’t mean that’s all we listen to,” sophomore Karshini Wooputur said. “I feel like most popular music is now surrounded by love, but it doesn’t necessarily encapsulate our generation very well.”
