PRO
I think we can all agree that on some level, we are all invested in the outcome of award ceremonies like the Grammys. Regardless of if we actually watch them or not, a part of us hopes that our favorite artists get the recognition they deserve in the industry.
I think it’s fair to say that awards shows have in fact been declining in viewers over the past few years, due to our current fast paced media consumption habits that allow us to find out the results of the categories without actually having to sit through the whole award show. However, with that being said, I do strongly believe there is a large group of people who watch these events, enough to make them still culturally significant.
I can attest to this on the basis that I would consider myself and my friends these people. Award shows, like the Grammys or Oscars, are often seen as an occasion between my friends and I, like watching the Super Bowl or streaming a favorite movie. It’s an excuse to get together and see some of our favorite people in one room together performing and walking red carpets.
The glamour of these awards has a particularly appealing quality. The shocking outfits and the glitz and glam of guests as they appear on red carpets. I think specifically of Lady Gaga’s meat dress that she wore to the 2010 MTV Music Video Awards and how people still talk about that look to this day.
I don’t know how strongly I can agree with the accuracy of awards like the Grammys and their display of public opinion, because I have often been confused and shocked by who has won certain awards at these shows. At the end of the day, everyone has very strong and differing opinions on who should win certain things, and I think that we live in an era of extreme talent that makes it nearly impossible to argue against any one artist on their wins.
Award ceremonies have a way of connecting the entertainment industry with fans and artists’ work, so I think there will always be an audience watching them and rooting for their favorites on screen.
oparisi@ramapo.edu
CON
And the Oscar goes to … disappointment. Every year as award show nominations are announced and the winners are prized, there is often a lingering sense of confusion and disappointment at those who won the awards and those who did not. Awards shows are fun and can be a really beautiful celebration of excellence in film, TV shows, music and more, but they can also be a massive letdown.
Winners at the Oscars and Grammys are often thanking “The Academy” in their acceptance speeches, but what is this Academy they are referencing? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, known most commonly as The Academy, is the governing body behind the Oscars that decides who is nominated in each category. Nominees are selected by branches of experts in the film industry, typically voting for individuals under their umbrella of expertise. The same goes for the Recording Academy, the institution behind the Grammy awards.
Still, though, despite nominations being chosen by supposed experts in their respective fields, it is evident that sometimes voting members of the Academy miss the mark on who the public agrees is truly the best in their craft, whether that be for music or film and TV.
Fans have always expressed their dismay with nominations and winners, claiming that their favorite movie, actor or album was “snubbed” or “robbed,” highlighting the lack of true relevance award shows carry in recent years.
The recently held 2025 Grammys were potent with so-called snubs and shocking wins, many fans disappointed that Billie Eilish didn’t win anything from her latest album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.” Eilish’s song “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” which has over two billion streams on Spotify alone, went home with zero accolades, causing fans to express their disillusionment with the Grammys as a whole.
“Billie going home empty handed after making one of the most impactful albums this year, snub of the decade,” lamented one X user, @mfasrnt.
If fans are more often than not disappointed with The Academy’s selections, is that really the mark of a reliable source of expertise in the field? It doesn’t seem like it. Award shows may once have been reflective of public opinion on the arts, but that is evidently no longer the case.
mkane10@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @recordingacademy, Instagram
