Stepping up
The Grammys were mired in controversy in 2018, after only one woman, Alessia Cara, won an award during the televised ceremony. Asked to respond to the lack of female representation, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said women needed "to step up because I think they would be welcome. "I don't have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that you face but I think it's upon us - us as an industry - to make the welcome mat very obvious." His comments sparked outrage, and this year's ceremony rang the changes, with Kacey Musgraves' space-age country album Golden Hour taking home the main prize, presented by a new female host, Alicia Keys. Bebe Rexha and Alicia Keys announced the nominations on Wednesday As she picked up the best new artist trophy, British star Dua Lipa drove home the point, saying: "I guess this year we really stepped up." To be clear, the 2020 nominees all earned their place on merit. There's no quota system in place. Instead, artists like Billie Eilish and electro-flamenco star Rosalía, have written some of the most forward-thinking, head-turning records of the last 12 months. The Recording Academy's new president, Deborah Dugan, commented on the phenomenon as she announced the shortlist for best pop solo performance in Los Angeles. "Wow, that's a lot of women," she quipped. "Just sayin.'" We'll discover who wins when the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards take place on Sunday, 26 January 2020, hosted again by Alicia Keys. The event takes place a month earlier than normal, after the Oscars moved their ceremony forward, taking the Grammys traditional slot. That means the 2020 honours are based on a shortened, 11-month eligibility period.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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