It’s the first time since 1999 that the category includes no white men - so what should Lorde do if she wins?
Photo: AFP
Devonport’s favourite wunderkind and Harry Styles kissy-friend Lorde has been nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards for her “critically acclaimed” album Melodrama!
Sitting alongside Kendrick Lamar's DAMN., Childish Gambino's Awaken, My Love!, JAY-Z's 4:44, and Bruno Mars's 24K Magic, Lorde, who won two Grammys in 2014 for best pop solo performance and song of the year with ‘Royals’,
The nomination tops off a banger of a year for ol’ Ella Yelich O’Connor, which saw her tour the world, climb to the top of NME’s end of year albums list, and clean up at the Silver Scrolls and VNZMAs. Wow!
Lorde’s Grammy nod comes as part of what is already being considered an important step for the awards. With only 10 black artists that have won album of the year in the entire history of the Grammys, it is undeniably significant that the year they switched to an online (and therefore easier and more inclusive) voting system should also be the first since 1999 that the category does not include any white men (except producers *cough* Jack Antonoff *cough*).
It’s big news for an awards ceremony that even Katy “woops I did yellowface at the AMAs” Perry has criticised for a lack of diversity and which has a long-standing history of marginalising black music and a bit of a pickle for Lorde who, if she wins, will do so as the only white performer alongside some of the most important POC artists in the world.
So what should she do if she wins? Some options:
- Cry and give the award to Beyonce
- Write the funniest text message the world has ever seen
- Be very, very quiet and never do another interview again.
Who could choose!
