Harry Styles’s 2023 Grammys Speech Sparks Controversy

Harry Styles’s 2023 Grammys Speech Sparks Controversy

Very few people understand what it’s like to walk away with a Grammy. It’s a rare and tangible display of appreciation for an artist’s work. It’s also not an experience everyone gets to have, including those who are beyond deserving. And unfortunately, more often than not, Grammy winners tend to share a similar identity and privilege. So, when Harry Styles won the award for album of the year at the Feb. 5 award show and said “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often,” viewers were confused.

It’s not that Styles isn’t deserving of accolades and praise: “Harry’s House” was a big release of the last year, resulting in several sweet music videos and a world tour that is somehow still going. And with his comment, Styles was likely referring to his upbringing without industry connections in a relatively small English town. Or perhaps he was referring to his boy-band beginnings and subsequent battle to be taken seriously as a solo artist. But ultimately, the comment failed to acknowledge the artists who time and again get snubbed by the Recording Academy — the people who actually don’t get to win often.

It’s worth breaking down some important numbers: Styles is the 33rd white man to take home the Grammy for album of the year in the show’s history. So to say that “people like him” don’t often win was a glaring oversight at best. By comparison, eight Black men and three Black women have won in the category. Though she made history this year as the most awarded artist overall, Beyoncé was largely believed to have been snubbed for album of the year — a category she’s never won, despite being nominated five times.

This comes at a time when award show voting groups are under greater scrutiny. Much like the Golden Globes, which in 2022 had to go on a hiatus, the Grammys have also in recent years been the subject of controversy and criticism over its lack of diversity and “boys’ club” culture.

The tenuous nature of award show voting was evident in a series of anonymous interviews Variety conducted with various Recording Academy members. Though published prior to the Grammys, the piece is again being circulated in light of Beyoncé’s snub, especially because of one voter’s particular quote: “With Beyoncé, the fact that every time she does something new, it’s a big event and everyone’s supposed to quake in their shoes — it’s a little too portentous.” Even at the top of her craft, Beyoncé can’t win.

The flaws in Styles’s comment do not offer an excuse to attack his character, or diminish his achievements as a musician, but it is important to recognize the current imbalance of scales so that artists from a wide variety of backgrounds are continually recognized. As it stands now, wins like these do mostly happen for people like Styles, and whether you’re a fan of his or not, that needs to change.

You can view the original article HERE.

‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
NBA Reopens Jaxson Hayes Investigation After TMZ Video of 2021 Incident
NBA Reopens Jaxson Hayes Investigation After TMZ Video of 2021 Incident
Kamala Harris Performs ‘SNL’ Cold Open, Takes Shot at Donald Trump
Kamala Harris Performs ‘SNL’ Cold Open, Takes Shot at Donald Trump
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City | MZS
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City | MZS
Ke Huy Quan’s New Movie Love Hurts Is a ‘Kung Fu Love Story’
Ke Huy Quan’s New Movie Love Hurts Is a ‘Kung Fu Love Story’
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Watch Fontaines D.C. sing Antonio Vega’s ‘Tesoros’ in Spanish in Madrid
Watch Fontaines D.C. sing Antonio Vega’s ‘Tesoros’ in Spanish in Madrid
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Silver: NBA looking at ‘other formats’ for 2025 ASG
Silver: NBA looking at ‘other formats’ for 2025 ASG
Grant Williams ejected late in Hornets’ loss for trucking Tatum
Grant Williams ejected late in Hornets’ loss for trucking Tatum
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Emilia Clarke’s ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ Gets Release Date
Emilia Clarke’s ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ Gets Release Date
Days of Our Lives Spoilers For The Week of 11-04-24: Life Goes On In Salem Despite Heartbreaking Losses
Days of Our Lives Spoilers For The Week of 11-04-24: Life Goes On In Salem Despite Heartbreaking Losses
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2024 WSJ Innovator Awards
The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2024 WSJ Innovator Awards
Estée Lauder’s New CEO, Naomi Campbell Covers V, & More!
Estée Lauder’s New CEO, Naomi Campbell Covers V, & More!