What It Takes for Black Artists to Win Big at the Grammys
There’s a long history of these musicians losing out in the award show’s major categories. Winning, it seems, requires fitting into a specific mold.
After a year of introspection— and on music-industry inequity, spearheaded by the Recording Academy’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion—there is widespread hope that the winners’ circle at this year’s Grammy Awards will be more reflective of the rich tapestry of voices that make up contemporary popular music. The 2019 show’s shortlists appear to be the result of successful activism, as the Recording Academy has implemented broader cultural mandates for inclusion. The “Big Four” General Field categories—Album, Song, and Record of the Year, and Best New Artist—are full of women and artists of color from a wide array of genres. All told, half of the Record of
