The Grammys are a series of annual awards given to artists to highlight their performances in the music industry. Council members nominate and vote on categories, with a deadline in August of the previous year. The prominent Grammy plaques awarded include Best Record, Best Album, and Best Song. These awards have been further developed into subcategories depending on the genre. This process may sound beneficial to some; however, the council judges are often biased and corrupt. Redundant victories from infamous performers receive more attention from the media and frequently lower morale. Fans typically feel disappointed because their favorite artist was either not nominated or did not receive an award. The 2025 Grammy ceremony was a mockery, undermining many artists who deserved to win.
Referring to a previously discussed notion, most of the music community believes the Grammys are biased. Many artists have been neglected in receiving awards. These include Hozier, Megan Thee Stallion, SZA, and Rosalía. Looking at the winners of Best Album over the past 30 years, only two have been rap albums: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast. Most of the success has been in pop or country music. The last international album to receive a Grammy was in 1976. Junior, Jackson Armona believes that the Recording Academy is too scared to make bold decisions and votes for the safest option. This idea is true due to the consistent evidence and lack of diversity.
In recent years, the speculation has increased as artists experiment with different styles. Regarding the 2025 Grammys, Beyoncé was awarded Best Country and Overall Album. This is plausible due to Beyoncé’s reputation among supporters who believe this album marks the start of something bigger. Jackson Armona stated, “I believe she won over the other nominees partly because she was willing to do something new with the country while also exploring its roots in Black culture.” Many enthusiasts (myself included) consider most of her work phenomenal, and Cowboy Carter falls no short of that. However, her repetitive victories make it increasingly difficult to interpret her work. Due to her immense influence, Beyoncé has been nominated over 99 times and won 35. This would make sense if it were based on popular voting, but it’s based on a panel of judges; therefore, a layer of bias must be present. To further summarize the controversy behind this win, a trend on TikTok has surfaced, humorizing the hysteria surrounding Beyoncé’s influence on the judges.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, an ongoing feud between Canadian artist Drake and popular West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar has taken social media by storm. This is primarily because the Diss tracks were consistently released. All of the songs in this beef contained personal attacks, but Kendrick’s Not Like Us became so celebrated that it won both Song and Record of the Year. Fans of Drake and artists who support him were infuriated by this decision. They believe that the vulgar language and accusations are too harsh and have personally affected Drake beyond the Grammy level. This debate is complex because, although the record has sparked some contentious arguments, it also united a majority of West Coast culture. To demonstrate this, Kendrick’s media label filmed a music video for the song, which featured figures such as DeMar DeRozan, Tommy the Clown, and Steve Lacy. Finalizing the impact of this feud, Kendrick received Music Video of the Year and was able to dedicate this victory to previous rap legends such as Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
The anticipation for the following year’s Grammys has always been intense. The music year has only just started, and many artists have either returned or risen to the occasion. A prime example is Lady Gaga, who made a major comeback overnight with her song Abracadabra. Potential future nominees include Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, and The Weeknd. Regardless of genre, music influences everyone, and it’s nearly impossible to determine one artist as the “best” without bias. This was evident at the 2025 Grammy Awards ceremony. The deserved victories, such as Chappell Roan for Best New Artist and Sabrina Carpenter for Best Pop Performance, were overshadowed by the repetitive wins of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and even The Beatles.