-
-
With 10 nominees expect more mediocre Album of the Year wins
In theory it should also allow a few less favoured genres to sneak through too. We probably came close to an Americana AOTY win and maybe a Rap album is possible soon (it’s certainly overdue).
The change in the rules for AOTY following the 2021 awards, removing the “contributed to 33% of the playing time” rule, has led to albums with huge lists of nominated names for a single album and I think this is a turn off for many voters.
This AOTY win for Harry and the previous win for Jon Batiste did not have a huge list of names attached.
ReplyCopy URLHad the secret committee not been outed a while back, both this and last year’s winners would’ve looked a whole lot different.
Last year: Tony, Billie, Olivia, or Taylor would’ve won AOTY instead of Jon; Olivia might’ve swept the Big Four; Tony/Gaga would’ve won Pop Duo/Group instead of Doja/SZA; Billie would’ve won at least one Grammy
This year: Adele would’ve won all of her categories except maybe one & not the other way around; Mary would’ve won something in the R&B field; Jack Harlow could’ve won a rap award; ABBA would’ve won Pop Duo/Group instead of Sam/Kim
ReplyCopy URLHad the secret committee not been outed a while back, both this and last year’s winners would’ve looked a whole lot different. Last year: Tony, Billie, Olivia, or Taylor would’ve won AOTY instead of Jon; Olivia might’ve swept the Big Four; Tony/Gaga would’ve won Pop Duo/Group instead of Doja/SZA; Billie would’ve won at least one Grammy This year: Adele would’ve won all of her categories except maybe one & not the other way around; Mary would’ve won something in the R&B field; Jack Harlow could’ve won a rap award; ABBA would’ve won Pop Duo/Group instead of Sam/Kim
Sam and Kim and Doja and SZA would’ve won anyway. Their wins are consistent with what we’ve seen winning this category, big hits who may not be the biggest hits nominated, but are still pretty big. Olivia would never win AOTY/SOTY/ROTY, she was too new for that and unlike Billie, Sam Smith, Norah Jones and other newbies who won in the GF, she lacked the “snob appeal” voters are impressed with. Billie was not going to win anything for HTE because it was a sophomore slump and she was overrewarded before. Tony would have won if it was a solo album. The fact Gaga was in it is the reason it failed to win: she never wins in the GF. Most voters probably don’t like her because she’s overrrewarded, and the same logic applies to Beyoncé, that’s why they keep winning minor categories while the ones voted by a larger pool of voters are beyond their reach. And I doubt Taylor would win for Evermore just after she won for Folklore. Last year would have an unexpected winner regardless of a comittee, Jon Baptiste or whoever else was nominated.
I’m not sure I get your point, though. Do you think the fact that the comittee supposedly doesn’t exist anymore is good or bad? I think it still exists and is more powerful than before, they seem to be handpicking winners since 2021. Grammy voters were always lazy and loved boring undeserving sweeps. Spreading the wealth like they did in 2021 and this year doesn’t feel like something they would do.
ReplyCopy URLSam and Kim and Doja and SZA would’ve won anyway. Their wins are consistent with what we’ve seen winning this category, big hits who may not be the biggest hits nominated, but are still pretty big. Olivia would never win AOTY/SOTY/ROTY, she was too new for that and unlike Billie, Sam Smith, Norah Jones and other newbies who won in the GF, she lacked the “snob appeal” voters are impressed with. Billie was not going to win anything for HTE because it was a sophomore slump and she was overrewarded before. Tony would have won if it was a solo album. The fact Gaga was in it is the reason it failed to win: she never wins in the GF. Most voters probably don’t like her because she’s overrrewarded, and the same logic applies to Beyoncé, that’s why they keep winning minor categories while the ones voted by a larger pool of voters are beyond their reach. And I doubt Taylor would win for Evermore just after she won for Folklore. Last year would have an unexpected winner regardless of a comittee, Jon Baptiste or whoever else was nominated. I’m not sure I get your point, though. Do you think the fact that the comittee supposedly doesn’t exist anymore is good or bad? I think it still exists and is more powerful than before, they seem to be handpicking winners since 2021. Grammy voters were always lazy and loved boring undeserving sweeps. Spreading the wealth like they did in 2021 and this year doesn’t feel like something they would do.
All the people you mentioned could’ve won if there was a committee, they used to block deserving artists to set up wins and anyone can win with the a favorable line up
ReplyCopy URLI think maybe we have way too many nominees with ten in each general field category!! Maybe if we can scale back to 7 or 8? The votes are being spread too thin with ten allowing upsets to happen or wins go to the artist who appeals to the broadest spectrum of genres and voter appeal, not necessarily because that was the best recording. All the winners are deserving, but the results don’t make as much sense when you can lose your genre award but still win the highest prize…
ReplyCopy URLThe General Field needs preferential voting. Some artists are clearly winning with less than 20% of the votes.
The American Roots block is huge and passionately supportive, not only of Brandi Carlile, but of all Roots artists. Bonnie Raitt was nominated alone because “Just Like That” was listed far ahead of “You And Me On The Rock” in the ballot. Black Pumas & Jon Batiste were also passionate American Roots nominees
With Popstars and R&B/Hip-Hop legends splitting votes between themselves, they will always come out on top. Specially since Country and Rock voters no longer have enough power to vote themselves into big categories.
The days of winning a General Field Grammy because of vocal performance only are over. “Real musicians” determined all the winners in the past years. Silk Sonic, Jon Batiste, Harry Styles, Bonnie Raitt, Lizzo and even H.E.R. despite there still being committees in 2021. No more tribute/cover albums let alone Whitney or Céline-like winners.
Pop voters apparently don’t want no one to win Best Pop Vocal Album more than once. lmao And Adele & Kelly Clarkson won’t win for a third time until more people have won twice.
Duos and Groups stand no chance against Collaborations in the merged Pop Duo/Group Performance. Not that they necessarily deserve to win though. It’s just that they take away space from more collaborations.
ABBA & Mary J. Blige had no real support. They were just early ballot name-checks.
I think we already knew this, but once again: Country voters have a hard on for new material released by legends. Not for covers or tributes though. I don’t think artists like Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris can ever win again. Contemporary Country stars will always split votes between them.
Taylor Swift will never win SOTY. It took her an Oscar campaign for her to win a Grammy against name-checked nominees on a straight vote.
She needs to reinvent the wheel in order to win a 4th AOTY trophy. Midnights won’t be it.
ReplyCopy URL
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
