This past years Grammy Awards left many R&B fans upset and leery of the academy’s appreciation for the genre. With the award categories stripped from the live show, followed by the announcement that there was going to be a downsizing in categories, strongly affecting the R&B world with the number of awards reduced from eight to four. The three coveted R&B vocal performance awards for males, females, and groups have been merged into an all inclusive R&B Performance Award.
Bill Freimuth, the Recording Academy’s Vice President of Awards, said the Academy noticed over the years that some of the R&B categories had not received many submissions.
Recording Academy President, Neil Portnow, knows the news of the downsizing will be “a little unsettling” to the affected genres and musicians, but he assures the changes were necessary in order to maintain the “prestige of the highest and only peer-recognized award in music.”
He also expresses that the decision for the overhaul did not come easy and involved “some pretty passionate discomfort.”
While, disheartening we will hold on to the 4 categories that still exist and know the genre isn’t disappearing, it is just broadening into more styles.
Take a look at the nominations for the upcoming 54th Annual Grammy Awards below. Do you agree with the academy, if not who is missing??
Best R&B Performance
Far Away – Marsha Ambrosius (Track from: Late Nights & Early Mornings)
Pieces Of Me – Ledisi (Track from: Pieces Of Me)
Not My Daddy – Kelly Price & Stokley (Track from: Kelly)
Is This Love – Corinne Bailey Rae (Track from: The Love EP)
You Are – Charlie Wilson (Track from: Just Charlie)
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Sometimes I Cry – Eric Benét
Fool For You – Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
Radio Message – R. Kelly (Track from: Love Letter)
Good Man – Raphael Saadiq (Track from: Stone Rollin’)
Surrender – Betty Wright & The Roots (Track from: Betty Wright: The Movie)
Best R&B Song
Far Away – Marsha Ambrosius, Sterling Simms & Justin Smith, songwriters (Marsha Ambrosius)
Fool For You – Cee Lo Green & Jack Splash, songwriters (Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona)
Not My Daddy – Kelly Price, songwriter (Kelly Price & Stokley)
Pieces Of Me – Charles Harmon, Claude Kelly & Ledisi Young, songwriters (Ledisi)
You Are – Dennis Bettis, Carl M. Days, Jr., Wirlie Morris, Charlie Wilson & Mahin Wilson, songwriters (Charlie Wilson)
Best R&B Album
F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown
Second Chance – El DeBarge
Love Letter – R. Kelly
Pieces Of Me – Ledisi
Kelly – Kelly Price
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Party – Beyoncé & André 3000
I’m On One – DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
I Need A Doctor – Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
What’s My Name? – Rihanna & Drake
Motivation – Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
All Of The Lights – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
No Miguel!! No Jill Scott?
How the heck did they miss Jill Scott. She has had her best cd this year over any R & B artist.