Music awards are meant to honor the best players in the music industry, from songwriters to producers to studio engineers. They can be a huge source of pride for artists and their fans, and they offer a glimpse into the taste of the music community as a whole. The winners and nominees are the ones who have made an impact on popular culture, whether they’re known for their big hits or for edgy new styles.
But are these prizes truly reflective of the public’s tastes? And more importantly, do they influence artists’ work in meaningful ways? To answer these questions, we turned to experts in the field of music and psychology.
The most famous music awards are the Grammys, which have been criticized for favoring certain genres and artists over others. However, there are many different awards that are given to both established and up-and-coming musicians across a wide range of genres. For example, the Brit Awards recognizes artistry and creativity over commercial success, while the Mercury Prize aims to give recognition to albums that are original and innovative.
The process of choosing award winners is complex and has been the subject of many discussions. For the Grammys, recordings submitted by artists and music professionals are screened by “more than 350 experts” to determine eligibility for each category. Voting members then choose the five recordings they think should be nominated in each category. Voting in the general categories, like Record of the Year and Album of the Year, is open to all members, while in craft and specialized categories, review committees decide the final five nominations.
One of the most important things that music awards do is highlight genres that wouldn’t normally receive much exposure on TV or radio. This helps promote diversity and encourages more creative innovation. For instance, when an obscure indie band or a lesser-known rapper snags a music award, they can attract more listeners and boost their sales.
Music awards also can have a significant financial impact on their winners and nominees. Whether it’s a boost in music sales or better endorsement deals, winning an award can be a game-changer for up-and-coming musicians. And even nominees who don’t win can benefit from the prestige of the trophy.
But it’s difficult to know how these awards actually affect the art itself. Kovacs and his collaborators found that award winners were more likely to create bolder music in the future, but it’s unclear if this is because of their increased credibility or because they are being encouraged by their labels to make riskier material. In addition, their previous commercial success could have had an effect as well. In other words, successful artists might feel less compelled to change their styles if they’ve already figured out what works. This is a problem that many researchers are trying to address by studying the effects of awards on actual artists.