A Run-Down of the 65th Annual Grammy Nominations

Image Courtesy: The Grammy’s

On Nov. 15, the Recording Academy released the list of nominees for the 65th annual Grammy Awards – which are to be held on Feb. 5, 2023. Amongst this catalog of prestigious musicians comes the return of a few infamous faces, including the likes of Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar, and several fresh faces, such as Lizzy McAlpine and Wet Leg. While many of these nods are well-deserved, critical fans often take to social media to critique the Recording Academy’s process. But who is the Recording Academy and what does it take to be nominated for a Grammy? And what is the big deal about the Grammy Awards Nominations?

According to their website, the Recording Academy is a “community of music professionals” whose job is to “ensure that music remains an indelible part of our culture.” Outside of the values depicted on their website – creativity, diversity and inclusion, integrity, collaboration, and passion – their website lacks insight as to what it takes to become an established member of the music industry whose credentials warrant a vote for one of the most esteemed music awards worldwide.

Image Courtesy: Complex

However, Billboard provides a more substantive explanation of who “The Academy” is and what they do in the music sphere:

“…[it] offers three types of membership – voting (for performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and other creators working in the music industry), professional (non-voting, for people who work in the music business) and Grammy U (non-voting, for those aspiring to a career in the music industry).”

With over 12,000 voting members, the weight of the Grammy’s can be easily understood. They have an extremely thorough process, including submissions (excluding self-nominations), screening, nominating, and special committees designed to finalize decisions in over 91 categories across multiple music genres. So, while it may be easy to feel discouraged by the lack of your favorite artist being picked, fans should know that it is incredibly difficult to earn the nominee title, let alone win multiple times.

Image Courtesy: Vogue

Even though Grammy’s records have constantly been broken and remade, reaching that level of achievement is remarkable. Currently, a nominee for her album 30, Adele has earned 15 Grammy awards – but the highest-earning female artist of all time is the one and only, Queen Bey, at 28 wins and 78 nominations; both Adele and Beyoncé are neck-and-neck for the most Grammy wins in one night, at 6. Another worthy competitor to win the most Grammy nods is none other than the Queen’s very own husband, Jay-Z.

Image Courtesy: Billboard

Outside of her other accreditations for her latest album Renaissance, should Beyoncé win “Album of the Year,” it would make her the first Black woman to do so in 24 years, since Lauryn Hill’s win for her self-titled album, according to Billboard. This achievement can also be met by Lizzo for her album Special and Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, who join Beyoncé as her fellow nominees.

Image Courtesy: Vanity Fair

In terms of male musicians, rappers Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar could also make Grammy history themselves; Billboard reports that Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti could be the first Spanish language record to win “Album of the Year” and Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers would be the first rap album to win the title since OutKast in nearly 20 years. Bad Bunny just swept up at the Latin Grammy’s, quickly rising in the ranks of being “the rapper to watch, while Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar has not been a contender since the release of his 2016 album, Damn.

Image Courtesy: The New York Times & Hype Magazine

Regardless of the multitude of record-breaking outcomes for the 2023 Grammy Awards, each nominee has earned their accreditation by simply being nominated by the infamous Recording Academy consisting of thousands of music experts. And despite the show airing many months away, the buzz will most certainly keep fans debating and waiting on the edge of their seats.

Strike Out,

Writer: Isabel Wilder

Editor: Addy Crosby

Tallahassee