Online Reporter
LOS ANGELES. — The Grammy Awards have long been criticised over a lack of diversity, with a history of artists of color, women, and rap and R&B musicians being snubbed for top prizes.
Sunday’s edition suggests something may have shifted.
Beyoncé, the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, finally won album of the year for her country-and-then-some album, “Cowboy Carter,” furthering her dedication to recentering Black art in popular culture.
Kendrick Lamar took home two of the top four prizes of the night, celebrating hip-hop on a show that has historically neglected the genre.
The Grammys placed young pop performers in the spotlight at the moment of their ascent, meeting the contemporary music moment.
The Recording Academy has made concerted efforts to diversify in recent years. Could it be those strides have already paid off in a course correction?
Or were the 2025 Grammys simply a one-off?
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jnr appeared onstage to address “some real criticism” facing the organisation behind the Grammys.
“Artists were pretty vocal with their complaints,” he said, reaching back to 2020: “The Weeknd called out the academy for lack of transparency in our awards. He went so far as to announce he was boycotting the Grammys.”
Five years can make a world of difference.
At the end of his speech, Mason introduced The Weeknd as a surprise performer, making his first appearance at the Grammys since 2017.
His return suggested approval of a new voting class — several presenters took care to note that the awards were decided by more than 13,000 voting members.
Peter A. Berry, a music journalist with work in XXL and Complex, believes that reading might be too pat, though.
“He performed to promote his new album,” he said, referencing The Weeknd’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” That timing aligned with the Grammys’ need to highlight its reform.
“I can’t remove my cynical music industry lens,” he says. “Time heals all wounds when you need promo.”
Of the Recording Academy’s current voting membership, 66% are men, 49% are white and 66% are over the age of 40.
But the academy announced last year that 3,000 female voting members had been added since 2019.
Two-thirds of the total voting body joined in the last five years.
In that same time, the academy has increased the number of members who identify as people of colour by 63%, with 100% growth in Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, 90% growth in Black voters and 43% growth in Latino voters.
At the 2024 Grammys, women dominated the major categories and as a result, every televised competitive Grammy went to at least one woman. It appeared to reflect contemporary interest in female pop performers — Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Victoria Monét and Karol G, among them.
In 2025, that trend continued. Women received every single televised award on Sunday night with the exception of Lamar’s and one shared between Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
“They got it right this year,” Berry says. “Maybe it is that the voting committee changed.” — durangoherald.com
Mathew Masinge