Several major musical milestones took place at the 66th Grammy Awards on Feb. 4 — especially for Black artists. Pop and R&B artist SZA scored nine nominations. Tracy Chapman and Burna Boy wowed the crowd with viral-worthy performances, and Jay-Z received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
But one of the evening’s most significant moments was somewhat less celebratory. Jay-Z used his acceptance speech to point to a larger, ongoing issue in the music industry. Many music genres’ roots grew from stories of the African American experience in the United States like R&B, gospel, hip-hop and even country. But their origins and artists are not often acknowledged or awarded.
“There’s a complicated history of African American music at the Grammy Awards,” says Langston Collin Wilkins, an assistant professor of folklore and African American studies with an interest in African American music. “The accomplishments and contributions made by Black artists have long been under-appreciated or outright dismissed.”
Case in point: Album of the Year, the Grammys’ most prestigious award, has not been won by a Black woman in 25 years. SZA received nine Grammy nominations — the most of any performer this year — and won three, but not in that top category.
“This is not the first time this issue has happened,” says Wilkins. “Certain artists are over awarded, other artists are under awarded,” Wilkins says. “SZA this year is a good example of someone who was under awarded in that way considering her cultural impact.”
SZA’s musical trail was blazed by icons like Chapman, who performed her timeless hit “Fast Car” at the Grammy ceremony with country music star Luke Combs. During Chapman’s heyday, she didn’t have access to the country music and Nashville singer-songwriter industries, according to Wilkins. But this year her song rose to the top of the charts once again when Combs covered it, bringing generations of audiences and disparate cultures together on stage.
“Music is a cultural unifier,” Wilkins says.
Another show-stopping performance from the ceremony came from Nigerian musician Burna Boy, who performed with R&B legend Brandy and rap phenomenon 21 Savage, becoming the first Afrobeats artist to perform at the Grammys. Blending influences from funk and jazz, Afrobeats has been a global musical force for many years — a fact the Grammys have been slow to acknowledge.
“I think for a long time, the Grammys weren’t just ignorant to Afrobeats but very ignorant to a lot of the musical movements that impacted the U.S.,” Wilkins says. “Afrobeats has long been one of those movements.”
Wilkins points to Burna Boy’s performance as a reflection of the influence of Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and diverse voices within the Academy, and their efforts to better reflect current musical culture.
According to Wilkins, the Grammys are headed in the right direction in terms of inclusivity, but other cultural-based music genres, like those in Latino communities, need space at these awards shows, too. A greater diversity of artists brings greater opportunities for the music industry.
“This year’s Grammys ultimately marked a moment of reflection for the music industry,” Wilkins says. “Hopefully, this is a moment of transition into something that better reflects our domestic and global society.”