Grammys 2024
What do the awards bring for classical music?
February 5th, 2024 by Bettina Jech
The Grammy Awards are considered the most important event in the music industry every year. The entire music industry? What about classical music? About this year’s winners and their importance for the international scene – a search for clues.
Like every year, the television show lasted three hours on the night of February 4, 2023 and met all expectations, including a surprise appearance, which this year came from Céline Dion. The Canadian singer, who suffers from a rare neurological disease, announced the best album of the year to thunderous applause, which also made music history.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin won a Grammy
Most of the Grammy winners have a less glamorous afternoon ceremony. In total, awards are presented in 94 categories – across all genres. There was already rejoicing in advance about the female dominance of the nominees in the pop category: seven women alone for album of the year. If you dig towards classical, it no longer looks so exemplary. Men are clearly in the lead here: only one woman among the five nominated “Producers of the Year” and two women among the five nominated conductors. Elaine Martone won the race among classical music producers; Gustavo Dudamel was named best conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his interpretation of Adès’ “Dante”.
Conductor Yannick Nézét-Séguin was pleased with his 4th Grammy Award. | Image source: © Hans van der Woerd There was also a Grammy for the sensational Met recording of the opera “Champion” by Terence Blanchard about a gay, black boxer – under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who also received his fourth Grammy. The “Best Choral Performance” award went to Finland to the Uusinta Ensemble with their conductor Nils Schweckendie and the Helsinki Chamber Choir for their recording “Saariaho: Reconnaissance”. Best solo artist went to Yuja Wang for her album “The American Project”.
The Grammys as the most important music award in the world?
As far as classical music is concerned, the boundaries of internationality are clearly drawn. The focus is on American artists and ensembles. There is only limited interest in European ensembles. Of course, this is disappointing from a local perspective. But the Grammys are an American affair. Founded in 1959, the Grammy is awarded every year by the private organization Recording Academy in Los Angeles. And no matter how much people have tried to achieve more diversity in recent years, looking across the pond hasn’t necessarily been one of them.
How are the awards presented at the Grammys?
Music companies and other professionals listed with the Recording Academy can submit recordings online. What is important is that the records were published between October of the year before last and October of last year.
In each category, five candidates are nominated by a jury and announced in advance. If there is a tie, it can be more or less. A list of all nominations will be published in January. The final winners will not be announced until the official awards ceremony in early February.
The constant struggle for more diversity
Pianist Yuja Wang won a Grammy for her album “The American Project.” | Image source: Goran Nitschke Like the Oscars, the Grammys have tried to take socio-political changes into account in recent years. In 2020 they announced a major reform; they wanted more women, more ethnic groups. The Recording Academy said that of the more than 2,300 musicians and music industry employees invited, half are now female and a third are from underrepresented ethnic groups. According to the Academy, around a quarter of the current 13,000 members should be female and belong to underrepresented ethnic groups. This cannot be verified; the composition of the jury is not publicly visible.
The fact that the Recording Academy wants to keep up with the times can also be seen in the new categories that have been added in recent years: In 2023, the award for the best soundtrack for video games was added – this year it went to Stephen Barton and Grody Haab for their composition “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor”. New this year there was, among other things, the best alternative jazz album, which was won by the Berlin-born US musician and composer Meshell Ndegeocello.
Discoveries in the classic categories are hidden way back
Broadcast: “Leporello” on January 5, 2024 from 4:05 p.m. on BR-KLASSIK