This is actually insane to hear them say considering the fact that I swear we hear the same names of white mediocrity getting called year after year, but I digress.
We may know who took home last night’s coveted trophies at the Grammys, but the public doesn’t often get firsthand insight into the voters. The group of industry professionals who voted for this year’s Grammys were grilled by the folks over at Variety, and their comments about their choices have officially pissed me off. Several of the anonymous voters openly admitted they steered clear of voting for artists like Beyoncé or Adele because, well, they’ve won so much already.
The conversations with the voters surrounded the Top 4 categories of the night: Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year. A person described as “a Grammy-winning producer-engineer who has been a voter for almost 20 years” explained their choices. They claimed they voted for Lizzo for Record of the Year because of her impact. They also seemed tired of Bey always being on top.
“I felt very strongly that Lizzo has changed this culture a lot,” they told Variety. “‘About Damn Time’ was a great track that everyone responded to. I also look at who’s been there and go, ‘OK, Adele, Beyoncé — they always win; it’s the same people over and over again.’ So I went for Lizzo.” This person further admitted that they are “out of touch with where the Academy is right now.”
Another voter described as “a music business veteran in his 70s” was accused of shading Beyoncé and the response her projects have received. “With Beyoncé, the fact that every time she does something new, it’s a big event and everyone’s supposed to quake in their shoes — it’s a little too portentous.” They also criticized Harry Styles, admitting to holding his “boy band” days against him.
Additionally, a “thirtysomething female singer voting for the second time” believed Adele and Beyoncé’s award-winning reputations were a hindrance. “I didn’t vote for either Adele or Beyoncé in any of the top categories. I love Beyoncé’s album and have been a fan of Adele, but I feel that they have already won a lot of Grammys.”
The Recording Academy’s nomination and voting process has long been criticized. However, social media has brought more of these complaints to the forefront. We’re seeing more artists choosing to boycott the ceremony or not submit their music at all—a la The Weekend and Drake. Yet, we’re still seeing those artists take home the gold regardless of their submissions or attendance.
Check out a few reactions below and let us know if you think the Academy should be revamped.
The grammy voter saying that Beyonce’s impact on culture is ‘portentous’ tells us everything we need to know. pic.twitter.com/2mWSrcQPEY
— Elle Rudd (@ElleRudd_) February 6, 2023
when those anonymous grammy voter quotes came out i knew…someone said they weren’t voting for beyoncé because she has enough like…boo 🍅
— nadirah (@hinadirah) February 6, 2023
Imagine being a #Grammy voter & not voting for Beyoncé because “she always wins.”
Watch it work, y’all. It’s disgusting that 2 mediocre people’s desire to speak to the manager about why Bey gets so much praise likely cost her even more awards on her mantel.#GRAMMYs #Grammys2023 https://t.co/Mg9q1Gw6WG
— Neale (@AbeFroman) February 6, 2023
I read some of the anonymous voters comments and one voter described her rollouts as portentous. America has this odd fascination with wanting to humble Black women. And if that's what it takes for Beyonce to with a lil AOTY Grammy, I hope she never wins. https://t.co/HJG3JsFrFV
— Some Ways Tired (@Keverund) February 6, 2023
Saying you didn’t vote for Beyoncé because she has a lot of awards is crazy because with all them awards she has only ONE is in a major category because they PLAY IN HER FACE. I hate them Grammy voter articles so bad 😭
— syd the alien superstar 👽 💕 (@Itsprincesssyd_) February 4, 2023
This is all I needed to see, read to confirm that the Grammy voting is STEPPED in misogynoir. "Portentous?!" Beyonce isn't trying to impress nobody especially not a pretentious voter who can't even reveal their true identity. https://t.co/dH41s4UvgL
— Kirstin L. Cheers (@kayeyerah) February 6, 2023
Such a joke. This Grammy voter admitted they didn’t even listen to all the nominated albums and shows a CLEAR bias against Beyoncé and Adele. @RecordingAcad how is that fair? So lame. https://t.co/89EIx0l2LT
— dyra Banks (@HausofDyra) February 6, 2023