Earlier this week, following the announcement of this year’s Grammy nominees, Lorde tweeted:
In one tweet, Lorde summed up the entire purpose of modern broadcasted award shows.
By citing this tweet, I do not want to undermine the purpose of fashion in society. It is important that it is recognized as an art alongside everything else. However, even with such stunning pieces of art being worn and recognized, award shows by and large have become a platform to less recognize art than just to watch celebrities drink and be friends.
If the viewer is not recognizing the art, then the purpose of celebrating good art is lost.
Of course, I do believe there is cultural value in recognizing artists for their art. Acknowledging significant art made every year is very important. The Grammys and award shows like it, however, do not spark enough conversation for there to be significance in awarding these artists. Following the past couple of years, silence at award shows has become more powerful than speaking.
Every year, it seems as though award shows have increasingly become a platform for artists to do bad stand up comedy before giving the award to these artists. By just presenting the award, not enough conversation is sparked.
The cultural value in award shows is present, but in different terms than what it should be. Performers at award shows often use this platform to address political topics they care about, which is where any sort of value comes from. Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 performance at the Grammys is one of the most important performances I have ever seen. It sparked conversation, which is what award shows should do. Kendrick Lamar tackled important subjects while still using the art he created and was nominated for. The award show itself, however, did less to create conversation than the performance itself. If we, as a culture, cannot converse about the art and choices being made, then any value in award shows is lost.
Every year, award shows have snubs, or pieces of art that should have been recognized that were not. This year, A Tribe Called Quest’s newest and final album, We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your service, was snubbed. This was an album that was more culturally significant than many albums released this year. It was released following the death of the group’s founder, Phife Dawg, and was A Tribe Called Quest’s first album since 1998. A rap group both making a piece of political art that memorializes an influential musician should be recognized. But that raises the largely-ignored question—are we rewarding the quality of the art, or the cultural significance?
When done correctly, acknowledging art made every year is very important to culture. If the choices are one-sided and do not spark conversation, however, then there is no way to appreciate the choices being made. Award shows reward surface-level talent, but ignite no communication as to how or why the choices were made.
Shelby Campbell is a freshman studying journalism and political science at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Are you cool with The Grammys? Let Shelby know by tweeting her @bloodbuzzohioan.
