Are The Grammy Awards Rigged?

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on Sunday 3/14/2021. Over the years I pay less and less attention to major music award shows for the simple fact, they are all 'rigged'.

The Grammy Awards have a 'voting committee' consisting of 10,000+ members ranging from musicians, engineers, producers and other music industry professionals to determine the nominees for each category. Each person selected to be a member of the voting committee is obligated to pay a yearly members fee. How someone becomes a member of the 'voting committee' is anyone's best guess. Rumors have circulated, but are they true?

In February 2020, Rolling Stone published a article into the 'Secret Committee' of the Grammy Awards. Also noting in the article, a lawsuit filed by former CEO Deborah Dugan who was placed on administration leave only after 5 months into her position when the lawsuit was filed. The 45 page complaint claims details that the Grammy Awards house secret committees that determine nominees by booting names on the list for their own favorite songs and artists. Article snippet below...

But those review committees often engage in corrupt practices that include booting names on the list for their own favorite songs and artists, former CEO Deborah Dugan has alleged in a fiery and drawn-out legal battle that started four weeks ago when the Academy placed her on administrative leave. In a 45-page complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission six days before this year’s Grammys, Dugan, who was removed from her post after only five months on the job, claimed that these review committees — which she refers to as “secret committees” because the members’ identities are kept hidden from the public — bypass a democratic voting structure and that she was fired, in part, for attempting to raise these issues with the organization’s board.

Rumors still continue in 2021 with multiple artists claiming that the Grammys are “corrupt,” sexist and biased for “the white man”. The New York Post published a article 'Are the Grammys rigged? . The article outlines artists ranging from Kanye West, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd all claiming that the Grammy Awards are rigged. The Weeknd who recently claimed that Grammys are rigged made a statement stating that he will refuse to attend, perform at, or put his work forward for consideration at the Grammys from here on out. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” he noted.

Justin Bieber also called out the Grammys when his album 'Changes' earned a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album rather than Best R&B album. “Changes was and is an R&B album,” the artist stated over his Instagram account. “It is not being acknowledged as an R&B album which is very strange to me.”

Duces final thought? The Grammy Awards are forever tarnished with rumors of un-biased secret committees. Until all the rumors are put to rest, the Grammy Awards impact on the music landscape is minimal and will only diminish beyond 2021.

Article published by DJ Duce