But few artists have ever been snubbed so conspicuously by the Recording Academy – for all her trailblazing accomplishments, Beyonce has never won the prestigious prizes for best album or record.
It earned her a fifth nomination for Album of the Year: in years past, she has lost to Taylor Swift, Beck, Adele and, most recently, Harry Styles.
And in a glaringly consistent pattern, nearly all of Beyonce’s losses have been to white pop and rock artists.
To explain the parallel, Johnson said that upon Obama’s victory, “as a Black person in America... I was totally shocked.”
For Johnson, Grammy voters tend to dismiss collaborative projects, which is Beyonce’s bread and butter: the megastar showcases Black music and traditions while elevating fellow artists.
Voter “values have been more aligned with white-dominated genres like rock and alternative,“ said Kehrer.
Kehrer said Beyonce’s career is emblematic of “fault lines in how organizations think about style and think about genre, especially around race and gender lines.”
“All those things are coming into play when it comes to Beyonce, this iconic global star that keeps missing this particular brass ring,“ Johnson said.
Beyonce’s work is difficult to define – beyond the top categories, her 11 Grammy nominations this year span Americana, country, pop and rap.
“She refuses to be a one-trick pony,“ Kehrer said.
Beyonce has thus challenged the Recording Academy to keep up with her by improving on its categorisation of music to better reflect industry trends – something that the Grammy organisers have indeed endeavored to do.
Her touch is vital to the gala “so they can seem not only relevant, but as inclusive as they claim they have been trying to be,“ she said.
As for winning prizes, if that were Beyonce’s primary concern, she would write music tailored for that, Johnson notes.
“She’s one of those rare artists who are free creatively, but also has the wealth to propel her vision.”
Ultimately, even if Queen Bey doesn’t need institutional approval, wins matter for fans – and, in turn, representation.
“It’s hard to get around the fact that it’s such a significant recognition,“ Kehrer said, calling the Grammys a “litmus test for where we are on race and genre in the music industry.” – AFP
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