Top 10 Worst Music Awards Decisions

The Recording Academy gave the inaugural Hard Rock/Metal Grammy to flute-playing prog-rockers Jethro Tull over Metallica's ...And Justice for All, stunning the metal community.

Beck's Morning Phase beat Beyoncé's self-titled visual album, prompting Kanye West's near-stage-rush and a broader conversation about racial bias in Grammy voting.

Taylor Swift's 1989 winning over Beyoncé's culturally seismic Lemonade deepened perennial criticism that the Grammys consistently overlooked Black artistry in major categories.

The indie-folk act Bon Iver winning Best New Artist over Nicki Minaj, who had dominated pop and hip-hop for two years, exposed the Grammy voters' disconnect from mainstream music.

Milli Vanilli's lip-syncing scandal led to the first-ever revocation of a Grammy, embarrassing the Recording Academy and raising questions about industry-wide authenticity.

Despite "Blinding Lights" being the biggest song of 2020, The Weeknd received zero Grammy nominations, leading him to call the Grammys corrupt and boycott future submissions.

Steely Dan's Two Against Nature beat Radiohead's Kid A and Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP, a decision seen as the Grammys rewarding safe nostalgia over artistic innovation.

Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell covers album River: The Joni Letters won over Back to Black and Graduation, baffling critics who saw it as a legacy award over cultural relevance.

Bruno Mars's 24K Magic beating Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. reinforced the narrative that the Grammys reward commercial polish over groundbreaking artistry.

The Recording Academy gave the inaugural Hard Rock/Metal Grammy to flute-playing prog-rockers Jethro Tull over Metallica's ...And Justice for All, stunning the metal community.

Beck's Morning Phase beat Beyoncé's self-titled visual album, prompting Kanye West's near-stage-rush and a broader conversation about racial bias in Grammy voting.

Taylor Swift's 1989 winning over Beyoncé's culturally seismic Lemonade deepened perennial criticism that the Grammys consistently overlooked Black artistry in major categories.

The indie-folk act Bon Iver winning Best New Artist over Nicki Minaj, who had dominated pop and hip-hop for two years, exposed the Grammy voters' disconnect from mainstream music.

Milli Vanilli's lip-syncing scandal led to the first-ever revocation of a Grammy, embarrassing the Recording Academy and raising questions about industry-wide authenticity.

Despite "Blinding Lights" being the biggest song of 2020, The Weeknd received zero Grammy nominations, leading him to call the Grammys corrupt and boycott future submissions.

Steely Dan's Two Against Nature beat Radiohead's Kid A and Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP, a decision seen as the Grammys rewarding safe nostalgia over artistic innovation.

Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell covers album River: The Joni Letters won over Back to Black and Graduation, baffling critics who saw it as a legacy award over cultural relevance.

Bruno Mars's 24K Magic beating Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. reinforced the narrative that the Grammys reward commercial polish over groundbreaking artistry.