(AllHipHop News) Every year, some type of controversy emerges after the Grammy Awards. The 2018 edition of the Recording Academy’s celebration was hit with criticism for Hip Hop once again being blocked in the Big 3 categories as well as the lack of wins for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Spanish-language smash hit “Despacito.”
Sunday night’s ceremony also had some people giving a side-eye to Alessia Cara winning Best New Artist. The “Here” singer beat out SZA, Lil Uzi Vert, Khalid, and Julia Michaels even though Cara’s debut album Know-It-All was released in 2015.
The Recording Academy changed the rules for the Best New Artist category in 2016. A music act will now be considered for the honor if the artist or group released a minimum of five singles/tracks or one album but no more than 30 singles/tracks or three albums.
In addition, the potential nominee cannot enter into the category more than three times, including as a performing member of an established group. The recipient also must have achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and impacted the musical landscape during the eligibility period.
Since dropping her Four Pink Walls EP in 2015, Cara has gained RIAA platinum awards for the singles “Here,” “Wild Things,” “Scars To Your Beautiful,” and “How Far I’ll Go” which all came out before 2017. Her Know-It-All LP peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 chart in December 2015, and the project was eventually certified platinum.
Alessia Cara responded to the negative reaction she received for taking home the Best New Artist trophy. The Def Jam recording artist wrote on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeixI5uHfmz/?utm_source=ig_embedto address the apparent backlash regarding winning something I had no control over: I didn’t log onto grammy.com and submit myself. that’s not how it works. I didn’t ask to be submitted either because there are other artists that deserve the acknowledgment. but I was nominated and won and I am not going to be upset about something I’ve wanted since I was a kid, not to mention have worked really hard for. I meant everything I said about everyone deserving the same shot. there is a big issue in the industry that perpetuates the idea that an artist’s talent and hard work should take a back seat to popularity and numbers. and I’m aware that my music wasn’t released yesterday, I’m aware that, yes, my music has become fairly popular in the last year. but I’m trying very hard to use the platform I’ve been given to talk about these things and bring light to issues that aren’t fair, all while trying to make the most of the weird, amazing success I’ve been lucky enough to have. I will not let everything I’ve worked for be diminished by people taking offence to my accomplishments and feeling the need to tell me how much I suck. here’s something fun! I’ve been thinking I suck since I was old enough to know what sucking meant. I’ve beat u to it. And that’s why this means a lot to me. despite my 183625 insecurities, I’ve been shown that what I’ve created is worth something and that people actually give a sh-t. all of the years feeling like I wasn’t good at anything or that I was naive for dreaming about something improbable have paid off in a way that I have yet to process. I know it sounds cheesy and dumb but it’s the honest truth. thanks to everyone who’s shown me kindness and support along the way. I’ll stop talking now.