Why Grammy Awards matter for Black queer artists like Kaytranda, Lil Nas X & Frank Ocean
Black artists across genres have been repeatedly passed over for music’s highest honor—the Grammy Award.Since its founding in 1957, the Grammy Awards have faced biting critiques, including accusations of bias among Grammy voters and the #GrammysSoWhite movement that underscores the music industry’s systemic failure to recognize Black talent and their contributions.
The relationship between Black artists and the Recording Academy has long been fraught.Despite these controversies, the Grammy remains a symbol of prestige and ambition for Black artists.
A win is an aspiration that, once reached, can bestow both business and creative advantages, including higher earnings, increased visibility, and extended cultural impact.
And for Black queer artists, the significance of such victories is even greater—both for them as artists and for the Queer community as a whole.Subscribe to Native Son’s newsletter for more news, information, and conversations about Black gay and queer everything.Only eight Black queer artists have ever won Grammy Awards, a fact that highlights both the challenges and opportunities they face in the entertainment industry.
