As a kid, I remember loving award shows like the Grammys and Oscars. Not only could I watch entertaining performances, but I also got to stay up past my bedtime for the big event. Since then, I have been a fan of the Grammys and other award shows. However, with the recent Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, I found myself joining in on the discussion and looking into the controversy on the selection process for the winners. 

Nominees for 2024 Record of the Year included popular hits like “Kill Bill” by SZA and “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift. So the win of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” left me shocked and raised many questions about how the winners were determined. More research left me skeptical of the soundness of the selection process for both nominations and winners. 

The selection process, as described on the Grammy awards website, starts with members of the Recording Academy casting nominations in their area of expertise. From there, finalists are chosen and a final round of voting occurs. Voting is limited to Academy members, which is invite-only and said to be for industry experts. These industry experts can include anyone from singers to authors to hairstylists, and while voting in your area of expertise is encouraged, it’s not required or enforced. I believe this leads to skewed voting and inaccurate results. 

Some have even expressed concerns of intentional bias throughout the process. The voting members could have personal connections with one artist and want them to win for that reason, even if they don’t deserve to. Another impact on voting decisions could be if members think a nominee has won enough awards and therefore, cast their vote elsewhere. Members could even have a bad experience with one nominee and not vote for them because of that. Although there are voting guidelines in hopes of eliminating bias and unfairness, ultimately, there’s an infinite amount of personal bias that could be happening behind the curtains of the Grammys. 

While the Grammys may have its flaws, I’ll continue to look forward to the award show each year. There’s improvements to be made with the system, but the shared experience of music will stay the same. The Grammys allows for unity in times of division and, to me, that trumps any of its faults.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Aidah Brown at [email protected].