by Kaitlyn Chow
BTS’s GRAMMY nomination was meteoric. However, with fame came controversy.
BTS, a South Korean boy band, in their music video for their single “Dynamite,” their first all-English song (Teen Vogue, 2020).
What are the GRAMMYs?
The Grammy Award, better known as the ‘Grammys’, is an annual award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize music achievements within the past year. This annual event presents several awards, such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year, among others. The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards took place on March 14, 2021; many artists received much recognition during this annual award ceremony. Yet, much controversy arose, specifically pertaining to BTS.
What Happened?
On November 24, 2020, the Recording Academy announced BTS’ nomination for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” for their song “Dynamite”. This announcement brought much attention to individuals around the world, as BTS became the first K-pop (Korean pop) group to receive a GRAMMYs nomination.
Many fans anticipated BTS’ win because of “Dynamite”’s outstanding achievements, including one billion views on YouTube and No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. However, when the award ceremony streamed on March 14, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award was ultimately awarded to Lady Gaga’s “Rain on Me” with Ariana Grande.
After the award’s result was announced, disputes arose among BTS’ fans (called ARMYs) and other individuals, as many noted how “Dynamite”’s achievements greatly outnumbered “Rain on Me.” Speculations of the Grammy Award’s discrimination towards artists of color arose. Fans, notable platforms, and other artists criticized the GRAMMYs for such actions, even including Justin Bieber and FORBES magazine.
Repercussions of This Event
As soon as the winner was announced, the viewership plummeted over 50%, compared to last year. According to ARMY’s tweets, the pre-show stream plunged from 1.2 million views to 400k within a few seconds. Soon after, the hashtag “#scammys” started trending on Twitter as a means for fans to punish the GRAMMYs. Fans and notable platforms aforementioned expressed how the GRAMMYs only nominated BTS for views and clout; nevertheless, such a plan only backfired.
Such acts of racism were claimed that night, as well. For instance, tempers flared over The Weeknd and Jay-Z. While The Weeknd’s single “Blinding Lights” received much praise, it was evidently absent from the nominations. Some individuals stated that discrimination towards artists of color is certainly not new to the GRAMMYs, as many other noteworthy artists of color have not been awarded or nominated, too. Not to mention, there have been speculations of “special committees” for artists of color and particular award placements in the program schedule based on race (e.g. pre-show stream and advertisements).
Sources
Daw, S. (2020, October 15). Watch BTS blow the crowd away WITH 'DYNAMITE' performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Retrieved April, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbmas/9466060/bts-dynamite-performance-2020-billboard-music-awards-video/
Day, N. (2021, March 15). 2021 Grammys Viewership plummets from past years. Retrieved April, 2021, from https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2021-grammys-viewership-plummets-past-years
Desk, W. (2021, March 15). ARMYs laugh over Grammy's live view count after BTS clout. Retrieved April, 2021, from https://www.geo.tv/latest/339804-armys-laugh-over-grammys-low-views-after-bts-clout
Hicap, J. (2021, March 15). Fans accuse GRAMMYS of racism after Bts fail to win Best pop DUO/GROUP award: '#scammys'. Retrieved April, 2021, from https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/15/fans-accuse-grammys-of-racism-after-bts-fail-to-win-best-pop-duo-group-award-scammys/
Cunningham, K. (2021, March 14). Has the weeknd delivered a fatal blow to the racist grammys? Retrieved April, 2021, from https://www.thedailybeast.com/has-the-weeknd-delivered-a-fatal-blow-to-the-racist-grammys