My Take on the 2020 Grammy Awards Nominations

My feelings towards the Grammy Awards are a mix of indifference and frustration. Like many music lovers, I don't know much about the artists nominated or their albums, and I wouldn't miss the event even if my favorite musician won.

Historical Context and Criticism

The history of the Grammys is marked with controversies and missteps. Many people, including me, view the Grammy Awards as merely a popularity contest and a joke. The awards have ignored some of the most popular and successful music genres, particularly rock and soul, for years, despite the argument that they may be the 'best and most important' music of the time.

Personal Observations and Opinions

I don't consider the Grammys to be a significant event unless a close friend or family member is nominated. In such cases, winning would be a big deal, and not winning would be a reminder to look beyond the awards.

At the moment, I'm more interested in award shows from PROG magazine, which focuses on progressive music. My current interest in these awards is primarily based on my love for prog music.

Disappointment and Frustration

The recent set of Grammy nominations has further cemented my skepticism about the awards. The fact that a highly commercially successful artist, such as The Weeknd, received no nominations is particularly disheartening. His album After Hours broke several chart records and was well-received by critics and the public.

I also took it personal when my favorite artist, Taylor Swift, was nominated for her album folklore. I find it surprising and commend the album for its intelligent and mature content with excellent tunes and lyrics, particularly the track 'But Im a fire and Ill keep your brittle heart warm / If your cascade ocean wave blues come'.

Other snubs like Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are hard to ignore as well. These seem like major oversights by the Recording Academy. The lack of representation for such a wide range of successful artists is frustrating, and I doubt the Grammys will recover from this.

Conclusion

For the time being, I will not be watching the Grammy Awards. The switch from cable to a firestick and a busy schedule have made it hard to keep up with shows, but mainly, I'm tired of award shows, especially the Grammys. Hopefully, the Recording Academy will address these issues and make the Grammy Awards relevant again.

Thanks for the A2A!