Grammys
“Am I Not Worthy?”: Trump Supporter Lil Wayne Addresses Grammy Snub
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Lil Wayne may be number one on the cancel list, but after the Grammys released their 2021 nominee and attendee list—he’s in his feelings. On Sunday (Dec 20), the Trump supporting rapper took to social media to shares his thoughts on once again being snubbed by the Grammys, as both a nominee and an artist in attendance, calling out the recording academy for the repeated oversight regarding his more recent body of work—before adding that he already has five that he uses to push him in the studio. “As an artist, when I see da Grammys coming up & I’m not involved nor invited; I wonder. Is it me, my musik, or just another technicality?” Lil Wayne wrote. “I look around w respect & wonder competitively am I not worthy?! Then I look around & see 5 Gram...
Recording Academy Paid $4.5M in Legal Fees in 2019, Filings Show
Dugan’s short-lived tenure as Portnow’s successor began Aug.1, 2019, and her salary — as well as any changes in expenditures that occurred under her short-lived tenure — are not indicated in this filing. Five days after being put on administrative leave on Jan. 16, 2020 — just 10 days before the 62nd Grammy Awards — and eventually terminated, Dugan filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to Dugan’s EEOC complaint, she learned in May 2019 that “[Joel] Katz and his law firm [Greenberg Traurig] are paid an exorbitant amount of money by the Academy.” She accused the academy of being “boys’ club network” — a place “where men work together to the disadvantage of women and disen...
Blue Ivy Becomes One of the Youngest Grammy Nominees in History
Leah Peasall of The Peasall Sisters is the youngest-ever Grammy nominee (and winner) as one of the credited artists on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, which was the 2001 winner for album of the year. Leah was just 8 at the time. Leah and her sisters Hannah, 11, and Sarah, 14, provided the singing voices for “the Wharvey Girls,” the daughters of the character played by George Clooney. They sang “In the Highways” and “Angel Band.” Deleon Richards is the youngest performer to receive an individual nomination; she was nominated at 8 1/2 years old for a 1985 award for best soul/gospel performance, female for her album Deleon. Jay-Z and Beyoncé, of course, are Grammy royalty. Jay-Z this year tied Quincy Jones as the most-nominated pers...
Blue Ivy Carter Retroactively Nominated for Grammy
At just eight years old, Blue Ivy Carter has landed her first-ever Grammy nomination. The eldest daughter of Jay-Z and Beyoncé is nominated alongside her mother in the category of Best Music Video for “Brown Skinned Girl”. As TMZ reports, Blue’s name was left off the list of nominations when they were revealed on November 24th, but the Recording Academy has since rectified the omission and added her as one of the eligible contenders. (Looks like mom and dad made a phone call.) If “Brown Skinned Girl” is to win Best Music Video (and that seems like a pretty safe bet), Blue Ivy would become the second youngest artist to ever win a Grammy. The current record holder is Leah Peasall, who was eight years old when the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack took home Album of the Year in ...
How the Academy’s New Black Music Collective Is Dismantling the ‘Disconnect’ With Its Community
Butterfield Jones: We are also shifting our thoughts around to equity and inclusion — making sure that once you are part of the Recording Academy, you have the opportunity to break that ceiling and get into leadership roles within the academy. We want to get more folks into the room. But we also want to make sure there’s a pathway to leadership once they get in the door. Which goals can the BMC accomplish immediately, and which will be more long term? Butterfield Jones: The North Star is to earn the trust of the Black music community. Being able to move that needle in one year and have more Black representation in the room will be progress. I’m here because many different powerful Black women paved the way. We’re focused on making sure that people that look like us have a seat at the table...
Mickey Guyton, Charley Pride & More Black Artists to Receive Grammy Nods in Country Categories
Charley Pride: Ten nods in the country field between 1966 and 1979. One win: Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs won best country vocal performance, male for 1972. The album logged 16 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart in 1972. It contained Pride’s signature song, the charming “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” a No. 1 hit on Hot Country Songs for five weeks in 1971-72. The Pointer Sisters: Two nods in the country field in 1974-75, plus another for Anita Pointer and Bonnie Pointer for writing “Fairytale,” a best country song nominee. “Fairytale” won for best country vocal performance by a duo or group, 1974. “Live Your Life Before You Die” was nominated in the same category the following year. The former track was from the Pointers’ album That’s a Plenty; the latter ...
Still Have Questions About 2021 Grammy Nominations? We Have Answers
Billie Eilish is just 18 and has received two nods for both record and song of the year. That’s got to be a first, right? It is. The previous youngest two-time nominee in the record of the year category was Kelly Rowland, who was 21 when she was nominated for the second time as a featured artist on Nelly’s “Dilemma.” Her first nod came two years before, when she was nominated as a member of Destiny’s Child with “Say My Name.” The previous youngest two-time nominee in the song of the year category was Avril Lavigne, who was 19 when she was nominated for the second time for “I’m With You.” Her first nod was the year before when she was nominated for “Complicated.” Eilish turns 19 on Dec. 18. Beyoncé is nominated for best music film for Black Is King. She won in that category last year f...
Grammy Museum Announces First Exhibit for When It Reopens
“While the museum’s doors may still be closed, our curatorial team has been hard at work preparing for our reopening,” said Michael Sticka, president of the Grammy Museum, in a statement. In the meantime, Motown Records will take over this month’s Spotlight Saturdays, the museum’s virtual program series featuring up-and-coming artists in sit-down interviews and performances. Here is this month’s Spotlight Saturdays schedule: Dec. 5 – Joy Denalane Dec. 12 – Chaz French Dec. 19 – Asiahn Dec. 26 – NJOMZA The museum also announced the rest of its December schedule on COLLECTION:live (which consist of interviews and/or performances). Two of the subjects of these sessions were Grammy-nominated last week. Bettye LaVette was nominated for best contemporary blues album...
Halsey Speaks Out After 2021 Grammy Nominations Snub: ‘It’s Not Always About the Music’
The 26-year-old pop star’s exclusion from the 2021 Grammy nominations came as a surprise to many, given that her recent album, Manic, featured the hit song “Without Me,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. To date, the singer has not been nominated in a Big Four (album of the year, record of the year, song of the year and best new artist) category at the Grammys. “The Grammys are an elusive process,” Halsey continued in her post. “It can often be about behind the scenes private performances, knowing the right people, campaigning through the grapevine, with the right handshake and ‘bribes’ that can be just ambiguous enough to pass as ‘not bribes.'” She added that many politics go into receiving a Grammy nomination, including “...
The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (November 27)
Take a look at all of the week’s can’t-miss music moments below. AC/DC’s new album charged in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 AC/DC’s Power Up debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, giving the legendary rockers their third chart-topping set. The new LP started with 117,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 28, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. See the full Billboard 200 rundown for the week ending Nov. 28 here. The 2020 American Music Awards were a night to remember Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, and Doja Cat and Bebe Rexha all performed during the AMAs on Sunday (Nov. 22), making for a star-studded evening. Of course, some awards were handed out, too! Check out the full winners’ list here to...
Sources Close to The Weeknd Believe Grammys Snubbing Was Retaliation for Playing Super Bowl
Sources close to The Weeknd believe his shocking Grammys snubbing was not an oversight by the Recording Academy, but rather an act of retaliation. The Canadian crooner’s fourth album, After Hours, is one of the year’s biggest releases — both commercially and critically. Going into yesterday, a nomination for Album of the Year felt like a lock. The smash After Hours single “Blinding Lights” was also expected to receive consideration for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. But ultimately, The Weeknd was completely shut out of the general music categories. He also failed to receive a single nomination in the genre-specific categories. How was this possible? Sources close to The Weeknd believe the Recording Academy sought revenge after the singer agreed to headline the 2020 Super Bowl hal...
Fofty’s Fury: 50 Cent Blasts Grammys For Best Rap Album Picks
Source: Raymond Hall / Getty The 2021 Grammy Award nominees were announced on Tuesday (Nov. 24) and most were pleased and even shocked by the amount of notable Hip-Hop acts named. However, 50 Cent voiced his displeasure with the selections and called the Recording Academy “out of touch” in typical Fofty fashion. In a now-deleted post, 50 Cent took to his favored social media vehicle of Instagram to share his distaste with the Grammy nominations. “Best Rap Album,” Fif wrote with some emojis in tow. “They out of touch this shit ain’t it, get the fuck outta here. 50cent #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi.” Most are speculating that the artist born Curtis Jackson was perhaps angered that the late Pop Smoke and his studio debut album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon was not among the nominees. ...
