When Sinead O’Connor rejected her Grammy for “Best Alternative Music Performance” in 1991, she did it in criticism of the award’s posturing as an institution on musicianship and music excellence. “They acknowledge mostly the commercial side of art. They respect mostly material gain since that is the main reason for their existence. And they have created a great respect among artists for material gain — by honouring us and exalting us when we achieve it, ignoring, for the most part, those of us who have not,” she quipped. Now, 35 years later, her words are backed up by the list of Grammys nominees for 2026.

The nominations were published on Nov. 7, 2025, and quite frankly sparked no excitement among even the most avid of Lisztomaniacs. Going through the main categories, I am reminded of songs that I had already forgotten were released in this past nomination period between Aug. 31, 2024, and Aug. 30, 2025. These include Bruno Mars and ROSE’s song “APT”, Justin Bieber’s album SWAG, and Doechii’s single “Anxiety”. If a song is that forgettable, what kind of musical excellence could it bear to deserve the recognition of a Grammy? You may see a pattern here: all of these were at some point viral TikTok audios. Is that what it takes now to get a Grammy nomination?

The trend is sustained throughout the less popular categories as well, such as “Best Metal Performance”, “Best Dance and Electronic Recording”, and even “Best Country Song”. Some of the entries are, objectively (as in based on listeners’ and critics’ scores), not even the artist’s best. Once again, the question of what the Grammys stand for arises.

Something I would expect from an institution like the Grammys is to support artists that have lacked the means to amass a huge social media following, to highlight musicians that have innovated music production and sound, and to give a platform for international independent artists to share their music on the American market, one of the most influential music markets currently. If winning an award is about recognition and elevating a voice that has shown excellence in their field, then the Grammys are definitely falling short of serving this function in the music industry. It is perhaps exactly this shortcoming that garnered a lukewarm response to the Grammy 2026 nominations. Perhaps there is more to it. There is a return to people seeking niche experiences. In a global market that is oversaturated with everything a person could want, the one thing that our generation privileges is exclusivity. The small artist, the unknown name, and the “I-knew-them-before-they-were-famous” line, are what we assign more value to. Not to mention the craze surrounding a person’s Spotify Wrapped and curating one’s listening behavior not to fit their personality, but to fit their manufactured persona. The bottom line is the Grammys missing spotlight may be a result of audiences also realizing that musical excellence is less about numbers and more about the experience of the music. Exactly what O’Connor warned us of 35 years ago with her rejection of the award.

Yet, the fact that O’Connor remains the only artist in the Grammys’ history to have rejected the award speaks to its manufactured value. Whether it is lobbyists, obnoxious marketing or just the Grammys resting on old laurels, I cannot tell. But the fact is: even I am still keeping up with and talking about the award. There might be far better uses of my time and yours. For example, discovering music in new and original ways, through small platforms on social media or dusting off websites like Every Noise At Once and HypeMachine. In terms of which artists deserve your attention and time, Sinead has answers for that too: “As artists, I believe our function is to express the feelings of the human race–to always speak the truth and never keep it hidden even though we are operating in a world which does not like the sound of the truth. I believe that our purpose is to inspire and, in some way, guide and heal the human race, of which we are all equal members.” So if you find yourself inspired and hopeful after listening to a piece, rather than just entertained, then you have stumbled upon a good one, even if they end up not being enough for the critics and award shows.