The Grammys Snub Claims Aren’t About Beyoncé Versus Harry; It’s About Awards Racism

Maybe it’s because I’ve been waitlisted for the Renaissance tour, so I’m a little salty, but I’m not completely over Beyoncé’s loss of Album of the Year yet, OK? Do I think Harry Styles deserved to be heckled? No. That’s tacky. Do I think he deserved to win? Well, let’s just say Adele and I are probably on the same team, here.

If you haven’t decided to create a yarn wall like I have to prove why Beyoncé was done extremely dirty by losing out on Album of the Year to Harry Styles, I’d like you to indulge me. This is not about proving that Harry was not worthy of the award. Honestly, that’s inconsequential. It’s about demonstrating how gross the Recording Academy is and how the awards they give out aren’t based on artistic merit, but on internal politics and cronyism.

First and foremost, there’s this tweet, sent out by the Grammys itself, which on the surface seems innocuous, save for the nepo-babyness of it all:

Since this is the internet and basically information lasts forever, there’s an Eonline article from 2018 that talks about how Harry Styles lived in the attic of Ben Winston for 18 months. The same Ben Winston who is the producer of the Grammys show, whose daughter is singing on a Styles track. Huh. Seems pretty connected, right?

Then there was the Variety article that talked to Recording Academy members anonymously. The way they spoke about Beyonce, specifically, was not great:

With Beyoncé, the fact that every time she does something new, it’s a big event and everyone’s supposed to quake in their shoes — it’s a little too portentous.

I didn’t vote for either Adele or Beyoncé in any of the top categories. I love Beyoncé’s album and have been a fan of Adele, but I feel that they have already won a lot of Grammys.

I also look at who’s been there and go, ‘OK, Adele, Beyoncé — they always win; it’s the same people over and over again.’ So I went for Lizzo.

I’m sorry, what? Vote for who you like, and the album you genuinely thought was the best you heard, not for who you think hasn’t won enough lately. That is ridiculous. Others were quick to point out that Bey has hardly been around in promotion for Renaissance, too:

It really feels that the entire decision boiled down to the fact Beyoncé is too beloved and it was time to bring her down a notch or two, doesn’t it? I’m not the only one who thinks that.

Again, this is not about Harry Styles. He’s caught in the middle of a situation that is unwinnable for him. It’s about an organization that refuses to admit it has a very real problem with recognizing Black women’s achievements. Horrible fact, only three Black women have ever won Album of the Year, and Beyoncé never has. How is that possible?! That is shameful!

Obviously, he is biased, but her husband, Jay-Z agrees, per People:

“The truth is, we grew up wanting to be on the Grammys, and it was our goal. We just want them to get it right. That’s what we want,”

I know that her next album will be fantastic, and it will be nominated because her music is always phenomenal. I just hope that the Recording Academy finally gets is act together and gives Beyoncé the recognition she so justly deserves.

(featured image: Timothy Norris/FilmMagic)