The Recording Academy is making some changes to their country-music Grammy categories, splitting it up between “Traditional Country” and “Contemporary Country.” Everyone knows that they’re making those changes because Beyonce won Grammys for Best Country Album AND Album of the Year. They’re basically making a “whites-only country” category. [Buzzfeed]
Natalie Portman & Tanguy Destable are still happening. [Just Jared]
Celebrating 30 years of Clueless, as if! [OMG Blog]
Dakota Johnson has gossipy dreams. [LaineyGossip]
I’ve watched the Oh, Hi! trailer several times, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it. I remember people raving about it during Sundance. [Pajiba]
Colman Domingo has great taste in bags. [Socialite Life]
Monica Barbaro has a great stylist. [Go Fug Yourself]
Molly Gordon wore Miu Miu in NYC. [RCFA]
Evidence that Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce secretly married! [Seriously OMG]
Harvey Weinstein’s retrial ended in a mistrial. [People]
Why are there so many plane crashes this year? [Hollywood Life]
#GrammysAreRacist
I second that #GrammysAreRacist
Haven’t they always been? The white “liberal” entertainment industry is only comfortable with performative diversity.
And I’m going to bet that sOmEhOw Shaboozey will be considered contemporary despite A Bar Song being a clear successor to Willie and Waylon. Fuck em all.
My literal first thought when I saw this: Shaboozy’s gonna get a nod in contemporary country and despite the fact that the yte boys are doing more crossover/hip-hop influenced stuff, they’ll still be nominated in traditional.
Willie and Waylon would have been considered ‘contemporary’ too back then. They didn’t brand themselves Outlaws for no reason.
‘Traditional’ would have been like ..Roy Acuff and the Carters. (I was going to say George Jones, but he had questionable Rockabilly origins. 🙂
People are already making jokes about renaming it as “Best Urban Country Album” 😭😭
The Recording Academy and corporate media are double down on exploding Blackand Brown people from their spaces. I don’t know if it’s capitulating to DT & his Nazi administration or if they always wanted to oppress but they are not hiding it.
Even seeing the cover of Variety with three women from the cast of The Pitt. It still strikes me as odd that a show known for its diversity featured only white women and one white-presenting woman on the cover, citing lack of “room” as the reason. What about Tracy Ifeachor, Shabana Azeez, and Supriya Ganesh?
The entertainment industry is another arm of the KKK.
Country had it’s roots in the black culture but they’re racists. They disrespected the wrong person so she decided that she would show the world where country music really originated from. She wins the Grammy in their category and then her concert is the highest selling country concert of all time after her first few shows at the beginning of her tour. I would say that the good ole boys and girls were blowing up someone’s phone complaining because they’re mad mad like really mad.
Country also has roots in Irish and Scottish traditional music and English folk music. It’s a mongrel.
Can’t link her skeets here, but Prof Tessie McMillan Cottom, who’s written in the NYT about Beyonce and how country music is not white, is coming out in favor of the split. The Grammies split categories all the time. This one came about because of a petition spearheaded by women and POC who saw themselves as consistently shut out of the awards. It’s been in the works for a while, so not just about Beyonce.
Anyway, read TressieMcPhD, not just in the NYT, but her books Thicc and Lower Ed. Her Instagram is great and full of knowledge.
Thank you for this, I just followed her on Bluesky.
When I saw Heather Cox Richardson follows her, I didn’t even bother to check her skeets first.
#Resist 💙💙💙
+1 on Tressie. She is amazing. I miss her podcast w Roxane Gay.
Wow, I am of two thoughts on this. I think anything that gives more artists a chance to be recognized. is a great thing. A Grammy is prestigious and voted on by their peers. Which is why it’s so important to many musicians, artists and singers. It’s also not that unusual for categories to get split. As trends and music changes over the years.
On the other hand… I have a bad feeling this category. Will be treated as the lesser Grammy. Or Country* with an asterisk. Which will create a black / white divide. With fans arguing over what is real country music. Not just who did the best work that year. We don’t need segregation like this if it goes that way. Both are equally important. Art is also subjective to the individual.
2026 will be an interesting Grammy year. To say the least.
The Grammys were literally founded to blunt the influence of “black music.” They have worked overtime in their history to minimize or marginalize black artists. I am never surprised at their attempts to preserve the White Supremacy in their awards since that was the reason they were founded
Didn’t this happen after she won best dance album too? They also split the dance/electronica category after she won for Renaissance.
Yeah, it happened with Renaissance too 😭😭If we get a rock album like predicted, I am guessing that category will “coincidently” be split up after Beyonce too.
There are very few “traditional” country artists anymore. If they don’t put all those white dudes with hair plugs and fake tans and veneers in the “contemporary” category, then you’ll know it’s racist.
It’s Grammy’s version of “roots” vs “old-time” music.
None of that modern white country trash is “traditional”. That is SO racist. Just call it “urban county”. Pfff I can’t even…