HAVE THE GRAMMYS
DROPPED THE BATON?

The embattled Grammy Awards are once again under attack, in this case taking a credibility hit from a traditionally quiet corner—the classical community.

Producers, professors and musicians have jumped on the classical-music website Slipped Disc to express their beefs about the inclusion of pieces by violinist Curtis Stewart (pictured at left) and keyboardist/bandleader Jon Batiste (right) in the Best Instrumental Solo Performance (Classical) and Best Contemporary Classical Composition categories, respectively.

Said producer Ásgerður Sigurðardóttir of the two nominated recordings, “IMHO they are not classical at all," continuing, "This should concern all of us classical musicians (in the U.S., at least).”

Berklee College of Music Professor Dr. Apostolos Paraskevas, a voting member of the Recording Academy, commented: “I'm sure the above-mentioned musicians and recordings do deserve the recognition, BUT they are totally mis-categorized because their music is NOT classical, [nor is it] CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL [in terms of] the globally accepted definition of the term ‘classical.’ I am not sure what my esteemed colleagues were thinking while voting prior to this, but this is a mistake that someone overlooked and unfortunately, this jeopardizes the credibility of the Grammy Awards. If this is NOT a mistake, then it's better to abolish all categories, because then it’s just embarrassing.”

The Grammy brand is taking shots from all sides—not unlike the Golden Globes—as the credibility of the annual awards, which has been tenuous through much of its existence, hits a new low.

The Grammys have survived over the last decade or so primarily because artists continue to value being recognized by their peers. If that were not the case, the Academy's ongoing missteps, declining ratings and the fact that neither wins nor performances no longer move the needle would have put Music's Biggest Night on life support by now.