Should We Still Take the Grammys Seriously?

The 2025 Grammys are right around the corner, but let’s be real—does anyone actually care? With a nominee list as dull as watching paint dry, the hype feels more forced than genuine.

Once upon a time, the Grammys were the standard for musical greatness. Winning one meant you truly made it. But now? It feels like they’re just rewarding whoever had the biggest budget or safest sound. How many times have our favorite artists been snubbed for someone who checks the "industry darling" box? Or honestly, how many of your favorite artists were snubbed for being "too big?" (that one only applies to black artists. Too many to count.

I often go back to look at the Grammy's pre-2015, those feel the most authentic. So, lets get into (some) of my favorite Grammy years/winner:

• 17th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1975)

Stevie Wonder "Album Of The Year"

• 28th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1986)

Whitney Houston "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female"

Sade "Best New Artist"

Stevie Wonder "In Square Circle"

• 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1994)

Whitney Houston "Album Of The Year," "Record Of The Year," "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female"

Toni Braxton "Best New Artist"

• 41st Annual GRAMMY Awards (1998)

Lauryn Hill "Best New Artist," "Album Of The Year"

Celine Dion "Record Of The Year," "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"

Madonna "Best Dance Recording," "Best Pop Album"

Lenny Kravitz "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance"

• 44th Annual GRAMMY Awards (2001)

Alicia Keys "Song Of The Year," "Best New Artist," "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance," "Best R&B Song," "Best R&B Album"

Nelly Furtado "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"

Sade "Best Pop Vocal Album"

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott "Best Rap Solo Performance"

• 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards (2008)

Amy Winehouse "Record Of The Year," "Song Of The Year," "Best New Artist," "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance," ""Best Pop Vocal Album"

Justin Timberlake "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance," "Best Pop Vocal Album,"

• 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards (2009)

Beyonce "Song Of The Year," "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance," "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance," "Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance," "Best R&B Song," "Best Contemporary R&B Album."

Lady Gaga "Best Electronic/Dance Album" "Best Dance Recording"

The truth is, music fans don’t need the Grammys anymore. TikTok, Spotify, and fan-driven movements decide who’s hot and who’s not. The awards feel stuck in a time capsule, trying to cling to relevance while the rest of us have moved on.

So, yeah, we’ll probably tune in for the memes or a great performance (fingers crossed), but don’t expect us to care who actually wins. The Grammys might be music’s “biggest night,” but it’s starting to feel like the industry’s longest-running inside joke.