How Can the Grammys Be Fixed?

Much like watching the Grammys, complaining about “music’s biggest night” is an annual tradition. This year, the usual discussions about how the Recording Academy could do better took on particular urgency after the organization abruptly ousted CEO Deborah Dugan, who then filed a discrimination complaint alleging a “boy’s club” environment rife with sexual harassment, conflicts of interest, a rigged voting process, and a hushed-up rape accusation against her predecessor, Neil Portnow. (The Recording Academy denies the claims, and Portnow calls the rape claim “ludicrous and untrue.”) With the show’s longtime executive producer Ken Ehrlich leaving after 40 years, and an honest-to-goodness teen—Billie Eilish—dominating the major awards for once, the Grammys are also at a moment of generational change.

In recent years, the Grammys have made some fundamental tweaks, expanding the voting pool and boosting the number of nominees in the Big Four categories from five to eight. The Recording Academy’s Diversity Task Force, chaired by Time’s Up co-founder Tina Tchen, issued a report in December 2019 outlining 18 further recommended changes, including diversifying the board of trustees. And in the days before the 2020 Grammys, the chairman and interim CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., promised action on those steps.

Adding to the chorus of voices demanding change, Sean “Diddy” Combs used his speech at a pre-Grammy gala to lambast the institution for not respecting black artistry: “I’m officially starting the clock: You’ve got 365 days to get this shit together.” With time already beginning to tick away, Pitchfork asked a range of professionals from in and around the music world, including artists, executives, and publicists, where they would start with fixing the Grammys. Their responses ranged from technocratic tweaks to initiatives that would help empower women and artists of color.

Zola Jesus

Singer, songwriter, producer

“The Recording Academy itself needs to be completely overhauled, along with the rest of the music industry. At this point, the Grammys are desperately trying to maintain a semblance of the old industry while it’s crumbling underneath them. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion. Meanwhile, everyone is trying to put their best faces on and pretend nothing is happening. They need to become more inclusive, not only socially, but in terms of letting independent labels and left-of-center artists participate in the future of the Academy. As it stands, the Grammys are nothing but a glittering, flamboyant shell of an utterly broken system, and if it wants to maintain relevancy as a signifier of anything other than corrupt practices, it needs to let down its hubris, and let new air in.”

Zoë Keating

Cellist, composer, performer; former governor of the Recording Academy’s San Francisco chapter

“I didn’t know how the Grammys worked until I became a governor and realized that people vote for who they know. The Grammys are not a popular vote—they are the result of the opinions of voting Recording Academy members. The membership is not cheap, and it’s not clear what, if any, value in services they offer to the average musician in exchange. As a result, the membership is not all that diverse. The results everyone complains about are what that membership voted for. Should the Recording Academy rethink what membership is?

The categories also need revamping. Some of them don’t make sense anymore. Urban? Tyler, the Creator’s performance was a standout for me, and his comments [about black artists being segregated into rap and urban categories] seem spot on. Also, to open the system up and get younger generations to care about it, what about a category for DIY/made-in-your-bedroom albums? I loved when Finneas said he and Billie made the music in their bedroom and hey kids, you can do this too. That’s the energy and spirit the Grammys needs to cultivate!”

Georgia Anne Muldrow

Singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer; nominee for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2020 Grammys

“Every year, each genre the Grammys celebrate should begin by praising black people for being the parents of that music. Period.”

Judy Miller Silverman

Owner of longtime music publicity firm Motormouthmedia

“We can start with strict term limits for all presidents and key employees so the rot does not fester for years under the same leadership. With the Grammys, just as in politics, we need new ideas, diversity, and input from the youth. Cronyism is a huge problem in all areas of politics and business, and it was never more evident than at the Grammys [before Dugan took over]. The institution had been turned into a playground for those in charge to favor allies and disfavor those without money and influence.”

Dorothy Carvello

Author, Anything for a Hit; former record executive at Atlantic, Giant, RCA, Relativity, and Columbia

“I would ask the California State Attorney General to investigate the voting process. There must be integrity. Allegations of voter tampering of any kind should be taken seriously.”

Molly Neuman

President, music royalty collection service Songtrust; riot grrrl pioneer and former Bratmobile drummer

“I would like to see the Academy set a goal for the board of trustees, executive board, chapter boards, nominating committees, and senior staff to have gender balance by 2025 [according to the Diversity Task Force’s report, nominating committees from 2015 to 2018 were comprised of nearly 75 percent men]. The conversation around gender and diversity within music is only getting louder, and every day we’re seeing more examples of the benefits that come from championing and empowering a diverse body of people.”

Veteran music publicist

Requested anonymity in fear of retribution

“It’s incredibly frustrating how obvious it is that the Grammy voters don’t research the [genre] categories when they don’t know all the artists. Instead of seeking out the clearly impactful releases from younger artists so they can make an actual educated decision, the voters seem to always take the lazy route of choosing the ones that have been around for years and that they’ve heard of. Not to take anything away from any nominated artist, I just feel the voters aren’t doing due diligence.”

Tyler Andere

A&R, Father/Daughter Records

“As a show, the Grammys would be much more interesting if they televised more than just six or seven awards. Otherwise it just feels like a big concert, and half of those performances are so dull. It would be cool to spotlight some of the smaller artists who are nominated or at least give them the opportunity to perform. Seeing Tyler, the Creator taking his moment to go all out was genuinely thrilling to watch. I’d like to see things move in that direction. More disruption. More fun.

As far as the Grammys as an institution: It’s pretty bleak and I’m not really here for it. I hope we can continue to find new spaces to celebrate artists.”

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork