Over the past few years, the Recording Academy has made a concerted effort to change a system that largely had stayed the same for the past six decades. It introduced a task force on diversity and inclusion, brought in new voting members to provide fresh perspective and announced Deborah Dugan as president/CEO — the first time a woman has served in this capacity.
That said, as the music world continues to evolve faster than ever, the Recording Academy must keep up. Below, artists across all genres respond to the question: What’s the biggest change you hope the Grammys will make this year?
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BJ the Chicago Kid: I believe the Grammys have made tremendous strides with diversity over the past year. There is still more work to do, especially with my female counterparts in R&B/hip-hop, but they are definitely moving in the right direction.
FINNEAS: I think above all else, it’s the Grammys’ responsibility to reflect music’s cultural impact and to celebrate the music that is shaping and changing the world.
H.E.R.: I would love to see more of the R&B categories on the broadcast. The world should see everyone celebrating their wins because everybody works hard. I would also like to see legends performing with our future legends and connecting those dots so the world can also see where the magic came from.
Jenny Lewis: The inclusion and representation of more independent artists with a new category other than the blanket term ‘alternative’ that leaves out so many nonmainstream, pop/rock-leaning musicians.
Lucky Daye: It would be cool to have an African-American country category added and it would be cool to put the acceptance speeches online so people can hear their favorite artists’ full thank you.
Maren Morris: I think they did a great job last year of intentionally balancing the male to female performances, so I’d like to see them continue progressing that. It felt like a more well-rounded show.
Mon Laferte: Music has the power of healing and creating change. That is why it is important for institutions such as the Latin Grammys to exist — it’s not only about the award or the ceremony, there are things beyond, like scholarships and supporting artists across Latin America.
Scott Hansen, Tycho: I hope the Grammys take into consideration the incredible group of independent artists that are nominated. Our industry has been controlled by major labels for a long time, but now with streaming there has been a democratization of music where fans decide what they want to hear.
Social House: We hope to see more diversity in the televised wins, especially with the advent of technology now allowing more possibilities of sounds and instrumentations than ever before.
Tanya Tucker: It’s about damn time women have a clean sweep. There are so many talented females out there right now who are the real deal. We need to see and hear from them during the televised show, too.
YBN Cordae: The biggest change I hope the Grammys will make this year is more hip-hop inclusion on the show. Hip-hop is the biggest genre of music on the planet, and the most influential.
A version of this article originally appeared in the Dec. 7 issue of Billboard.