It’s a common refrain to hear frustration and resentment around the time of awards shows—famous people celebrating each others’ fame and success and congratulating themselves on it. But this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony stood in the shadow of the Los Angeles fires. Many of the artists on the stage and off at this year’s ceremony found themselves face to face with the fleeting nature of their own lives and property. Many of America’s musical luminaries felt the dread of vulnerability, and many suffered along with the communities in their city.
This was a Grammy Awards ceremony dedicated in many ways, both concrete and demonstrative, to helping communities in need. Many of the commercials aired during the broadcast were donated to small businesses that had suffered a loss of their location in the fires. Throughout the broadcast the show raised $24 million in charity money for the wildfires. The messaging was surprisingly focused: every opportunity they had, the presenters and hosts made sure to highlight their love for Los Angeles and to ask for donations in support, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith’s declaration of love for the city while presenting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album to Chappell Roan’s performance of ‘Pink Pony Club’, her love letter to the community she found in LA.
The frustration that many feel towards the wealthiest in America was inescapable: many took to social media to criticize the show for asking for money from everyday Americans despite their own vast wealth. Yet it was evident that the community that presented the 67th Grammy Awards was a community that was shaken and far from comfortable. The wildfires and their aftermath forced everyone, celebrities included, to face the reality that the fortune and success of the world is fleeting and transient.
It was also a ceremony filled with firsts, with industry newcomers like Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan winning the first awards of their careers. In addition to the youthful energy, the ceremony featured a touching Jazz tribute to legendary producer Quincy Jones. The event ultimately poured a great deal of money into caring for a community in disarray and devastation. During the ceremony’s ‘Premiere’ event, prior to the primetime broadcast John Lennon’s grandson Sean Ono Lennon gave his tongue in cheek advice to young people: “Never get into a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar.” But there were many lessons on display during the night. “We are the culture,” Lamar himself said in his acceptance speech for Song of the Year. For better or for worse, or perhaps for both, he was certainly right.
What was your takeaway from the Grammy awards? What lessons did you take away from this display of ‘the culture’? Do you get the sense that America’s music celebrities are ‘Not Like Us’, or would you celebrate alongside this community like Chappell Roan at the ‘Pink Pony Club’?
