The Grammys and Racial Bias

by Gaia Gonzalez

The Grammys are one of the most respected music award shows in the world. These  prestigious awards are given to well-deserving artists every year. But what if the public came to know that the system is rigged? What if the public came to know that the Recording Academy picks and chooses winners with a racial bias? This is exactly what is happening now, only most of the public doesn’t know.

The fact that the Grammys are super respected in the first place should imply that their system is fair, right? Not really. We as a society have been super progressive in terms of acknowledging our biases, but why is it harder to eliminate a bias instilled in something that has been around for so long, and is so influential? I remember watching the Grammys for the first time, being super excited about the winners. And this is how it has been ever since. Every year, I sit with my family in front of the TV to watch the show. But lately, I can’t help but notice the amount of white singers winning, in comparison to black artists. And I personally know that I am not the only one. 

“In the last 10 years, only one black musician has won the coveted album of the year award: Herbie Hancock...” says BBC news. In 10 years, only one. And yet the grammys refuse to accept the fact that there is a racial bias in the system. “I don't think there's a race problem at all. Remember, this is a peer-voted award. So when we say the Grammys, it's not a corporate entity - it's the 14,000 members of the Academy.” says Neil Portnow, their president. But what has failed to be understood in this context is that this is exactly what systemic racism looks like. A system built on white supremacy, who’s foundations haven’t been changed since the establishment of the Recording Academy. The fact that they have 14,000 separate members, who vote on the winners as a whole, allows them to cover up the fact that frankly, the system itself is at fault. 

Part of the issue with racism/racial bias and the Grammys is finding ways to isolate black artists and their music from the top categories. Sections like “Best Urban Contemporary Album” put up a wall in front of the big categories, such as “Best Pop Album.” They are setting up barriers between black artists, and the top prizes. Tyler, the Creator has spoken out about the issue, saying: “I don’t like that ‘urban’ word. To me, it’s just a politically correct way to say the N-word. Why can’t we just be in pop?” And not to say the grammys haven’t been progressive at all, in fact, they decided to remove the word “urban” from all their categories.  But even when a black artist is able to climb their way into being one of the nominees, they still don’t win. Why? Because the problem is that they still fail to acknowledge the racial bias instilled in the system.

The history of music itself goes back a long way. Music was here even before our society was divided into black and white. So now that we are a lot more united, why is our prime system for awarding musical artists reminiscent of those times? The answer is that the system we are using to this day is built off that basis, which could also be known as systemic racism. 

I think we all now know why systemic racism, (and just racism in general) is not okay, but again, why is it so hard to eliminate a bias within something that has been around for so long, and is so influential? There is no grand answer for this question, but what we need to know and work towards is progress. The first step towards a more equal music industry is to acknowledge that there might be a bias in the system, and for the grammys, the evidence is already there. But acknowledging and understanding why it’s there is what allows all of us to begin working forwards on a path to a fair, and just system. Coming from a person who loves music and wants an equal system in place, I ask you to first acknowledge that we all have a bias. Whether it’s built into the system or not doesn’t matter, because if we all understand the roots of our racial bias, we can work together to eliminate it.