Now that we’ve had time to consider the impact of this year’s Grammys ceremony, let’s assess the show as a whole to see what exactly worked and what didn’t. The Recording Academy tends to pride itself on its ability to evolve, so there are a couple of changes that I think might help reflect the times we’re in and also appeal more to younger audiences, who are finally starting to care more about the show.
A new category for indie-pop
I’m the first to be skeptical of new categories, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that indie/alternative pop artists have a hard time winning. Lana Del Rey has not managed to win in pop categories — in fact, her universally acclaimed 2019 release “Norman F*cking Rockwell!” couldn’t even get a nomination in the field. And this year, when she was allowed in the alternative field, she was snubbed again in favor of more rock-oriented acts Paramore and Boygenius. If Del Rey were the only artist who this happened too, it wouldn’t necessarily be an issue. But other big names like Gracie Abrams, Joji, Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Maggie Rogers and Clairo have also been snubbed in both pop and alternative categories, mostly in favor of artists who have more mainstream pop or alt-rock appeal. Perhaps it’s time for the Grammys to classify alternative pop and alternative rock as two different types of music.
Time to switch up hosts
Trevor Noah is always a delight to see on screen, and him hosting the Grammys made sense this year amidst his “Daily Show” exit and Grammy nomination. However, things eventually start to feel tired after long enough, and unfortunately Noah isn’t the exception. Considering he has hosted for four years now, perhaps next year would be a good time to book someone new. The Grammys might also consider going host-less, as that has worked before for shows like the Oscars. There’s a lot of budding comedic talent right now, though, so the options are endless. As long as it isn’t Jo Koy.
Once again, more awards
I feel like a broken record at this point, but if by chance Ben Winston or Harvey Mason Jr. are reading this, please show more awards during the prime time telecast. It would acknowledge even more music creators publicly and expose them to the masses, and it’s simply more fun that way. There would be time to present more awards if the schedule were, perhaps, less packed with jokes or ads, or even some of the not-so-interesting performances we get each year from legacy acts. The Grammys are an award show, not just a concert, so let’s keep it that way.
Shorter tributes
I’m all for honoring older or late musicians and giving them their flowers. It’s truly commendable that Ben Winston and company dedicated much of the show to music legends, especially since a lot of our great artists pass on way too soon. However, I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t, perhaps, feel like overkill. While it was amazing to see Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, and U2 up on stage, it came at the expense of performances by newer artists like Boygenius, Victoria Monét and Noah Kahan. Likewise, the 16-minute “In Memoriam” bonanza was full of great artists, but its length made it lose some of its impact, especially since most people probably don’t expect to see so many performances back-to-back with no breaks in-between.
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