The Grammys can never seem to get it right.
In 2014, the award for best rap album was inexplicably given to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for their debut studio project The Heist, instead of Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The following year, the Grammys ignored the cultural impact of Beyoncé's self-titled "visual album" and went with Beck's Morning Phase for album of the Year instead. In 2016, Kendrick was once again shafted by the Academy for album of the year when To Pimp a Butterfly lost out to Taylor Swift's 1989. On Sunday, the Grammys once again came under fire when Bruno Mars bested King Kendrick for the night's top prize. But Monday's outcry wasn't limited to the Kendrick snub. Alessia Cara was the only female to win an award during last night's telecast, which was filled with calls for gender equality in the music industry. And people were pissed.
In fact, only nine percent of the 899 people nominated over the last six award shows are women.
When Variety caught up with Recording Academy president Neil Portnow after the ceremony came to an end, the Recording Academy president put his foot in his mouth by suggesting that the onus was on women for not stepping up. "It has to begin with… women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level," Portnow said. "[They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome. I don’t have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that you face but I think it’s upon us — us as an industry — to make the welcome mat very obvious, breeding opportunities for all people who want to be creative and paying it forward and creating that next generation of artists.”
Charli XCX rightfully blasted Portnow for his tone-deaf remarks in regards to the #GrammysSoMale controversy.
And she wasn't alone. Pink also took to Twitter and slammed the Grammy president for his remarks.
Women in music don’t need to ‘step up’ – women have been stepping since the beginning of time. Stepping up, and also stepping aside. Women OWNED music this year. They’ve been KILLING IT. And every year before this,” she wrote.“When we celebrate and honor the talent and accomplishments of women, and how much women STEP UP every year, against all odds, we show the next generation of women and girls and boys and men what it means to be equal, and what it looks like to be fair.”
The Recording Academy has yet to comment.
