We just lived through another historical moment here in Santa Barbara, and no I’m not talking about the grand opening of Chik – Fil- A, is that how it’s spelled? No no, the 55th annual Grammy Awards aired Sunday night! And this time, there wasn’t too much Taylor or Kanye, unless you count the break-up-song in Wonderland Cirque du-so weird spectacular the lovely Ms. Swift performed.
All this aside, all I could think about, was how many categories does it take to establish an award show? I’m all for recognizing and honoring the artists I blast from my little macbook speakers, but I mean really, three and a half hours? Seems to be a bit… excessive. So, I looked into the past in order to compare it to the present.
In the First Annual Grammy awards ceremony, there were 28 categories. (Don’t worry, I counted.) Categories such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, all the big awards we still await with much anticipation year after year. However, we still hand out just about all of the same awards from that first ceremony… and then some.
The 55th Annual Grammy awards ceremony possessed not even double but almost triple that amount with 81 total categories. Some are probably necessary to add i.e. country, rap, reggae, you know, to keep up with the times. But some of them, well, you be the judge.
Here are some examples:
49. Best Regional Roots Music Album
43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Regional of what? I don’t get it.
39. Best Gospel Album
40. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
What, exactly, constitutes a difference between these two categories?
65. Best Historical Album
Wait a minute…
63. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
Okay, these guys are probably on the board…
It’s starting to feel a bit like the slashies from Zoolander…
Wait for it…
36. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
I KNEW there was a slashie in there somewhere.
In all honesty, I’m so glad that the Grammys are awarding such a vast array of musical genres and tastes, a refreshing thought, that so many artists who might not otherwise be awarded are honored at such a huge event. However, it is interesting to witness the evolution of awards ceremonies as the culture around us continues to redefine and reshape genres, causing history to follow suit. This is my formal acceptance letter to take up post in the prestigious show’s voter candidacy. I’m simply waiting for the request to apply. Until then, check out this amazing cover of Soulja Boy’s Grammy performed by Purity Ring.
