"The Grammys are straining to be a different beast in this decade under Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr., who took over from his disgraced predecessor in 2021. Acclaim now gets spread around a wider and somewhat more careful group of nominees; categories are on the move and trying harder to recognize not just the evolving faces of Stateside pop, rock, rap, and R&B but musical hotbeds around the world."
"The rash of violence and abductions were the subject of a spate of ICE Out protests over the weekend in downtown Los Angeles, where the Grammys took place this year. And the question of whether we still live in a democracy has loomed over the winter. Meanwhile, the White House shitposts to get a rise out of pop stars online and the president announced, mid-show, the abrupt closure of the Kennedy Center for promised "renovations.""
Harvey Mason Jr. took over the Recording Academy presidency in 2021 after a disgraced predecessor. Acclaim now spreads across a wider, more careful group of nominees. Categories are shifting to recognize evolving faces in Stateside pop, rock, rap, and R&B and musical hotbeds worldwide. Women are increasingly winning categories like Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rock Song. Mason's gentle messaging about finding peace in music cannot control the wider political context. Talent engagement with current events unfolds through acceptance speeches, protest songs from artists such as Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen, ICE Out demonstrations in Los Angeles, and online political provocations.
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