Spartan Echo

A Grammy Award. Credit: The Recording Academy Online 

It’s that time of year where artists of every genre come together to celebrate the biggest hits in music at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Some of the biggest names in the industry, like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Taylor Swift, have all been nominated, but even their fans are not tuning into the Grammys this year. 

According to Forbes, the 2024 Grammys had a “34 percent increase from the 12.4 million people that watched the year prior.”  However, most award shows including the Grammys have seen a recent decline in viewership. 

There are a few reasons why former viewers are refusing to watch the Grammys this year. The first is that there is simply a decline in interest in award shows as younger generations prefer to consume content differently. After reaching out to a group of Norfolk State University (NSU) students in the media field, the consensus was the same: “We just don’t watch these things anymore.” 

Social media and streaming are also factors in the recent decline of viewership for the Grammys. Many people watch specific performances and highlights through clips on social media like Instagram and TikTok. People no longer have time to sit through three-hour-long awards shows, and recaps of the events are more convenient for them to watch. 

Len Dupree, a graduate student at Norfolk State says while she does “enjoy seeing how artists push the message of their songs with their performances and fashion” she would rather “check out the highlights and performances [instead of] watching the full show live.” 

Social Media Apps on Phone. Credit: iStock Photos 

There has also been controversy and credibility issues with the Grammys. For years, the Grammys have received backlash for lack of diversity, allegations of favoritism, and not reflecting what’s truly impactful in the industry. 

CJ Crawley, a music media major at NSU, expresses his belief that the Grammys “are out of touch with modern music trends and are biased against certain genres like Rap and R&B.” 

CJ also believes, “There is really no set standard for what a nomination qualifies as, and they tend to show favoritism to the safe choice of “superstar” artists rather than artists [who are] currently making an impact on the culture.” 

A’lauren Gilchrist, a junior studying journalism, continues this belief that the Grammys tend to award artists based on popularity or streams, adding, “I feel like awards may end up going to a lot more TikTok songs and I don’t think taking songs from TikTok really tells me what’s the best music wise—just because a song SNIPPET is used a million times doesn’t mean it’s worth a Grammy.” 

Beyonce Accepting Her 32nd Grammy. Credit: Glamour.com 

As far as who will win this year’s Grammys, students have mixed responses. On one side, students believe artists like Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce should win but won’t. 

CJ says, “Kendrick is deserving of a Grammy award because the album he released at the end of 2024 provided a cultural impact for the younger generation, [but] with the structure of the Grammys and the current music industry, I think that Sabrina Carpenter or Taylor Swift will win. Even though Beyonce is currently leading in votes, she has had a history…of losing Album of the Year (AOTY) many times.”

 However, A’lauren believes, “Kendrick will walk away with a Grammy [which] will promote buzz for his Superbowl performance coming up.”

Overall, students believe that the Grammys are losing touch with their audience. Len says, “It’s definitely losing cultural relevance, especially with younger audiences who get their music through streaming and social media rather than traditional awards shows. While winning a Grammy still holds prestige, platforms like TikTok and YouTube shape music trends more than the Grammys do now.” 

CJ agrees with this statement by saying,  “All award shows such as the Grammys, VMAs, and MTV music awards are not necessarily relevant anymore. These awards may represent status in the music industry, but they are given mainly for mass appeal to older and mainstream audiences.” 

The decline in viewership, lack of enthusiasm, and allegations surrounding the Grammys propose the question: “Is there a possibility that the Grammys will ultimately come to an end in the years to come?” Yet this year, you can still watch the 67th annual Grammy Awards on TV this Sunday on CBS.