WILL GRAMMY WINNERS GET POLITICAL?

Free speech is inarguably under threat in America. Newspapers and cable news outlets are preemptively “obeying” the repressive dictates of the president and his minions, muting their criticism for fear of reprisal. Will artists on Grammy night use the platform to speak out?

Wonderers are wondering how politics might creep into the proceedings on Music’s Biggest Night.

Grammy’s wise pivot to addressing the aftermath of the wildfires and raising funds to aid those affected will undoubtedly be reflected in speeches—expect to hear compassionate talk about lost homes and fulsome praise of firefighters and other first responders, along with redemptive “L.A. strong” encouragement. And rightly so.

That said, it’s impossible to deny that climate change has played a massive role in the perfect storm that set L.A. neighborhoods ablaze. Actually, scratch that—it’s very possible to deny it, if you’re a member of the Trump administration and dismiss the whole issue as a hoax by woke folks. And that’s why climate will be the biggest elephant in the room. Will anyone address it?

And while we’re on the subject of said administration and its ochre overlord, how might its regressive policies and statements regarding women, people of color and LGBTQ+ people—to name a few of those targeted—be answered, or questioned, at the Grammy podium?

As critic Ann Powers pointed out in a recent NPR piece, the highest-profile Grammy nominees represent the antithesis of Trumpian sensibilities. She noted “a slate almost entirely made up of women [several of them LGBTQ+] and non-white men" and said, "DEI may be in danger everywhere else in the culture, but it’s so baked into the Grammys at this point that extricating it would leave nothing on the stage. On Music’s Biggest Night, what in other contexts is a disputed political or ethical mandate has become definitive.”

Chappell Roan, an openly gay artist who’s been a bit of a political maverick from the outset, stands a pretty fair chance of winning some hardware. Might she go off on this administration’s horrific policies toward trans people and its overarching sexism and homophobia? That would be something to witness.

Billie Eilish, who has latterly embraced her queer identity overtly in both her music and in interviews, has also (alongside brother/collaborator FINNEAS) been an outspoken advocate for progressive climate policies. Given the distinct possibility that she’ll be accepting one or more trophies, how might this Angeleno use the bullhorn?

What about Beyoncé, who provided the theme song for Trump’s opponent and whose music has constantly challenged racist, sexist and homophobic narratives?

Then there’s Kendrick Lamar, another L.A. native whose finely wrought lyrics sizzle with political challenge. Could his remarks put a finger in the emperor’s eye?

Meanwhile, Paramount, the parent company of Grammy network CBS, is said to be in settlement talks with President Trump over his lawsuit stemming from the edit of 60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris. Could already-fearful network execs caution the Recording Academy to make sure winners stick to thanking their managers, agents and higher powers?

It’s never possible to predict what kinds of viral moments will arise from Grammy speeches. But it’s reasonable to imagine that the present convergence of factors in our (physical and cultural) environment might spur some memorable statements.