(Credits: Grammys)
Some of the most notorious moments in music history have happened at the Grammys.
In fact, the ceremony itself almost beckons it. Year after year, people are poised to dish out their two cents about who should or shouldn’t be nominees or winners, and, more than that, people become confused about whether there’s some ulterior motive behind each annual list beyond simply celebrating good art that deserves to be celebrated.
This mentality has given rise to some of the most controversial moments over the years. When we think of Grammys mishaps and snubs, it’s usually about the same cycle of moments, from Jethro Tull snubbing Metallica’s award in 1989 or, more recently, the outrage that occurred after Benson Boone seemingly adjusted his attire in a distasteful manner during a performance of ‘Beautiful Things’.
Next year’s nominations have pulled the usual suspects, from Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter to Chappell Roan and Sombr. Olivia Dean is rightfully up for ‘Best New Artist’, alongside other impressive newcomers like Lola Young and Addison Rae. As always, however, it wasn’t immune to criticism from outsiders, including Boone himself, who took to social media to playfully remark, “Can’t believe moonbeam ice cream didn’t get a Grammy nom. It’s literally pure lyrical genius.”
On a more serious note, people did actually speak out about those they feel had been unfairly disregarded, like Lorde, whose record Virgin is considered by many to be in the running for one of the best of the entire year. Several others, including veteran The Weeknd, were nowhere to be seen in the coveted list, but then again, this is nothing new.
As we’ve seen, the Grammys spark endless debate year on year, with an impressive streak when it comes to polarising audiences.
Which artists have had their Grammys revoked?
However, when it comes to the ultimate torchbearer of controversial moments, few come close to the one artist whose award was revoked after being hailed ‘Best New Artist’ in 1990. Milli Vanilli sparked a major scandal in the industry when it was revealed that the main performers, Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, weren’t actually singing their own songs, and that their vocals were being provided by a handful of other singers.
This didn’t just mark the one time a Grammy has ever been retracted from an artist, it also rewired the approach taken by the awards organisers, making them take a slow decline away from bands or categories they don’t consider credible enough for attention. Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rule, as one glance at this year’s list with names like Bruno Mars will reveal. But in these cases, it’s often either long-term legacy acts that they pay attention to or influential mainstream pop acts that earn a spot among the others.
Still, this major slip-up hasn’t made the event immune to backlash. Over the years, people have rallied for others to give their awards back or kicked up a fuss when one pop act wins over another. There are also claims of certain acts monopolising the system, like Taylor Swift, though this seems to have relented a little this year after her hotly tipped The Life of a Showgirl was released after the eligibility period.
Still, the organisation itself remains one of the most contentious topics in modern music, but this is likely a mix of both critic and fandom-led passions. After all, as long as people remain energetic about their favourite artists, there’s always going to be fuel to the fire where snubs and perceived disrespect are concerned – just as the Grammys will always claim to be the best and most credible celebration of modern music, even if that remains up for debate.
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