Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar led among the finest Grammys in years. Has the awards present reworked?

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Grammy Awards have lengthy been criticized over a scarcity of variety, with a historical past of artists of colour, girls, and rap and R&B musicians being snubbed for high prizes. Sunday’s version suggests one thing might have shifted.

Beyoncé, probably the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys historical past, lastly received album of the 12 months for her country-and-then-some album, “Cowboy Carter,” furthering her dedication to recentering Black artwork in well-liked tradition. Kendrick Lamar took residence two of the highest 4 prizes of the night time, celebrating hip-hop on a present that has traditionally uncared for the style. The Grammys positioned younger pop performers within the highlight in the mean time of their ascent, assembly the up to date music second.

The Recording Academy has made concerted efforts to diversify in recent times. May or not it’s these strides have already paid off in a course correction? Or have been the 2025 Grammys merely a one-off?

A feud squashed

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. appeared onstage to deal with “some real criticism” dealing with the group behind the Grammys.

“Artists were pretty vocal with their complaints,” he mentioned, reaching again to 2020: “The Weeknd called out the academy for lack of transparency in our awards. He went so far as to announce he was boycotting the Grammys.”

5 years could make a world of distinction. On the finish of his speech, Mason launched The Weeknd as a shock performer, making his first look on the Grammys since 2017.

His return instructed approval of a brand new voting class — a number of presenters took care to notice that the awards have been determined by greater than 13,000 voting members.

Peter A. Berry, a music journalist with work in XXL and Complicated, believes that studying may be too pat, although. “He performed to promote his new album,” he mentioned, referencing The Weeknd’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” That timing aligned with the Grammys’ want to spotlight its reform.

“I can’t remove my cynical music industry lens,” he says. “Time heals all wounds when you need promo.”

A extra numerous voting physique

Of the Recording Academy’s present voting membership, 66% are males, 49% are white and 66% are over the age of 40. However the academy introduced final 12 months that 3,000 feminine voting members had been added since 2019. Two-thirds of the overall voting physique joined within the final 5 years. In that very same time, the academy has elevated the variety of members who determine as folks of colour by 63%, with 100% development in Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, 90% development in Black voters and 43% development in Latino voters.

On the 2024 Grammys, girls dominated the most important classes and consequently, each televised aggressive Grammy went to not less than one lady. It appeared to replicate up to date curiosity in feminine pop performers — Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Victoria Monét and Karol G, amongst them. In 2025, that pattern continued. Ladies acquired each single televised award on Sunday night time excluding Lamar’s and one shared between Woman Gaga and Bruno Mars.

“They got it right this year,” Berry says. “Maybe it is that the voting committee changed.”

Nominees and winners replicate up to date curiosity

The nominations introduced in November acknowledged the artists who led the dialog in 2024. Beyoncé was celebrated with 11 nominations, what Kinitra D. Brooks — a tutorial and creator of “The Lemonade Reader” — says was the results of voters lastly recognizing “this is clearly someone who deserves the respect of her peers.”

Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, experiencing breakout years, acquired six nods every. The ever-present, discourse-dominating “Not Like Us” from Lamar and Charli xcx’s “BRAT” additionally acquired recognition.

And that translated to awards. There have been various first-time award winners, many ladies and folks of colour like Doechii, Carin León and Sierra Ferrell. Within the comparatively new songwriter of the 12 months, non-classical class, Amy Allen turned the primary lady to take residence the trophy.

A transfer in the proper course for hip-hop

“Not Like Us” was an early winner on the Grammys’ Premiere Ceremony, receiving trophies for music video, rap music and rap efficiency. It marked his seventh time successful in that final class. However it was his presence throughout the principle broadcast that actually made a splash. One of many largest world hits of 2024, his Drake diss observe received music and file of the 12 months — solely the second hip-hop single to ever win file of the 12 months. By the top of the night time, “Not Like Us” had received all 5 awards for which it was nominated.

Lamar’s recognitions arrived the 12 months after Jay-Z criticized the Grammys for ignoring the rap legends earlier than him — those that introduced hip-hop to the preeminent music award present, solely to have rap classes not make the official broadcast.

“We want you all to get it right,” Jay-Z mentioned final 12 months. “At least get it close to right.”

Berry describes Lamar’s wins as “a layup,” a celebration of one of many nice rap information of latest historical past.

And although Lamar’s wins meant extra hip-hop on the published, Berry says the Grammys’ hip-hop picks are typically predictable. He says there’s a “cookie cutter” method for the type of rappers the Recording Academy acknowledges.

“The more esoteric and abstract rap,” in addition to “the mid-level street rap,” goes largely ignored, he says.

Course-correcting the largest blind spot

Beyoncé’s album of the 12 months victory was extensively thought lengthy overdue. The celebrity had 4 of her albums nominated within the class earlier than successful on her fifth.

She seemingly alluded to it in her acceptance speech: “It’s been many, many years,” she mentioned.

“I Am… Sasha Fierce” misplaced to Taylor Swift for “Fearless” in 2010. In 2015, her self-titled album “Beyoncé” misplaced to Beck’s “Morning Phase” and Harry Types’ “Harry’s House” beat “Renaissance” in 2023. Maybe most infamously, although, was the lack of “Lemonade” to Adele’s “25.”

“I can’t possibly accept this award. And I’m very humbled, and I’m very grateful and gracious, but my artist of my life is Beyoncé,” Adele mentioned in her 2017 acceptance speech, holding again tears.

In successful album of the 12 months Sunday, Beyoncé turned the primary Black lady to win the highest prize within the twenty first century. The final was Lauryn Hill with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” 26 years in the past. Earlier than her have been Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, and the listing ends there.

Brooks believes “Beyoncé reflects that Black women can be excellent and still ignored in very particular ways — because this is a top honor in her field.”

Emily Lordi, a Vanderbilt College professor whose focus is African American literature and Black well-liked music, describes “Cowboy Carter” as “an album with a capital A — one that explicitly aims to restore the Black roots and routes of country, a genre long coded as white. It is the kind of historic intervention the academy could not fail to recognize — it was undeniable.”

Berry factors to the truth that the file’s nation affect might have aligned with the academy’s traditionalist voters — but in addition appealed to these impressed by its break with conference.

“It is some cosmic justice being done,” says Berry. “It might not be the best Bey album, but it was the best of the category.”

Even Grammys’ host Trevor Noah couldn’t assist however acknowledge the milestone: “We finally saw it happen, everyone,” he mentioned. That, we did.

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