Like many major events and ceremonies, the Grammy Awards have witnessed some of the memorable moments in music history.
From notable snubs and flawed performances to straight-up scandals, the ceremony has had its ups and downs, from Lady Gaga arriving in an egg and Taylor Swift thinking her album Red was won to the more recent mishap suffered by Benson Boone during a performance of ‘Beautiful Things’.
In fact, it wouldn’t be the Grammys if there wasn’t something to talk about each year, with some even choosing to tune in in the hopes of witnessing any kind of awkward celebrity mishap to sink their teeth into on social media as it happens in real time. However, the quirky behaviours of famous people aren’t the only thing that keeps people engaged, as sometimes, it’s the industry-defining discourse sparked after the fact that makes for some of the more important discussions.
For instance, like many music events and ceremonies, the Grammys aren’t perfect when it comes to representation. As Doechii highlighted this year after winning ‘Best Rap Album’, “This category was introduced in 1989, and two women have won.” There are disparities across other categories, too, not to mention the fact that people are often faster to criticise female artists when it comes to performances on stage and appearances on the red carpet.
Which artist first refused a Grammy?
People have also accused the ceremony of holding warped values and not honouring artists based on merit or talent. This was actually one of the reasons why Sinéad O’Connor refused to attend the ceremony in 1991 after being nominated for four awards, winning one for ‘Best Alternative Music Performance’.
Instead of accepting, or even showing up, she wrote a letter to the Recording Academy explaining her reasons for disagreeing with their principles and values, saying that they prioritised “material gain” rather than artistic integrity. “They acknowledge mostly the commercial side of art,” the late singer wrote.
Continuing, “They respect mostly material gain, since that is the main reason for their existence. And they have created a great respect among artists for material gain – by honouring us and exalting us when we achieve it, ignoring for the most part those of us who have not.”
At the time, O’Connor had been outspoken about the many aspects of the industry that suffered from such disparities, including a lack of equal recognition and representation across the board, calling upon others to make their voices heard when it came to similar topics. It worked, especially when you look at how Living Colour responded to their Grammy recognition, with bassist Muzz Skillings calling attention to how artists like Elvis Presley gained mass exposure over others because of the “racial climate” of America.
These issues remained prominent across the entire industry, attached to honours like the Grammys because of their supposed reflection on the broader industries and those it claims to celebrate. O’Connor’s refusal, therefore, came from a place of wanting to push for a better, more inclusive landscape and from a desire to defy a system that doesn’t play fair for all its members.
