Grammy Awards organizers have resigned from their anonymous voting committees following allegations of manipulation, favoritism and racism.
Celebrities like Zayn Malik and Halsey had claimed that the process of selecting Grammy winners was unfair and there was no transparency. Color artists have long criticized awards for lack of diversity.
Earlier this year, Canadian singer The Weeknd accused Grammy organizers of being corrupt, as he was ignored in this year’s nominations, despite one of his hits breaking the 52-week record in the Top 10 in the US.
The Registration Academy, a non-profit organization representing music creators, said the selection of nominees and winners "was returning to the hands of the entire voting body with the right to vote". She added that more than 90% of its members would go through a "requalification process" to ensure that the voting body "is actively engaged in creating music". The academy said it was also reducing the number of categories in which voters can vote and would add two new award categories.
The Grammy voting procedure has been quite complicated. Previously, committees of 15-30 "very capable" musicians had the final say in 72 categories.
Last year, the then chief executive of the Registration Academy, Deborah Dugan, claimed to have evidence of serious voting irregularities. Dugan's allegations came after she was dismissed on charges of misconduct, though she said it had happened in retaliation for raising her voice.
Five days before this year's ceremony, Zayn Malik mocked the Grammys, later explaining that he was concerned about "the need for inclusion and lack of transparency in the nomination process", saying that the current system allows for favoritism, racism and politics. networking affect voting.
As The Weeknd told Billboard that in the last 61 years of the Grammy, only 10 artists of color have won the Album of the Year award, highlighting racism at the important music event.
