Today, we marvel at how the American Music Awards once tried to have categories specifically stating “Best Black Artist.”
Things That Turned Out Bad is a feature where I spotlight ideas by writers that probably weren’t a good idea at the time and have only become more problematic in retrospect.
Now, don’t get me wrong, award ceremonies today are STILL messed up when it comes to its handling of Black artists. Tyler the Creator noted back in 2020 when he won the Grammy for Best Rap Album that, “It sucks that whenever we—and I mean guys that look like me—do anything that’s genre-bending, they always put it in a ‘rap’ or ‘urban’ category. [It’s just another] politically correct way to say the n-word.”
So that is a very fair complaint by him. Billie Eilish also agreed with him at the time, noting, “Don’t judge an artist off the way someone looks or the way someone dresses. Wasn’t Lizzo in the Best R&B category that night? I mean, she’s more pop than I am. Look, if I wasn’t white I would probably be in ‘rap.’ Why? They just judge from what you look like and what they know. I think that is weird. The world wants to put you into a box; I’ve had it my whole career. Just because I am a white teenage female I am pop. Where am I pop? What part of my music sounds like pop?”
These are all very fair, very modern criticisms.
However, holy crap, it’s still a lot better than the American Music Awards’ pivot in 1985 to specifically having categories for “Best Black Album,” “Best Black Single” and “Best Black Male Artist”!
The issue was that the award used to be “Best R&B/Soul,” and in 1984, Michael Jackson dominated the category with his Thriller album, but, well, Thriller is clearly a pop album, so to avoid any complaints about the category not being truly “R&B/Soul” the following year (as Lionel Richie and Prince were both having huge years with pop/rock albums), they pivoted to “Black” instead of “R&B/Soul.”
Richie and Prince dominated the category in 1985, and you can see them win their awards in these super-sketchy categories…
They went back to R&B/Soul the following year, so it was only a one-time deal, but boy, what a bad idea THAT was.
If you have a suggestion for a future edition of Things That Turned Out Bad, drop me a line at brian@popculturereferences.com.
Watching the “we are the world” documentary on 2/2/24 and I am like when the heck did award shows have categories based on race!!!!! Had to come hunting on google. Thanks for the insight!
Pretty crazy stuff, right?
I had to Google this one. AMA was out of hand for this one. Before my time but watching the Documentary, I was I was wow…thee audacity.
ha! i was watching WAtW doc too alongside my niece of 24 walking her through the times and the artisits and the explosion of this song and then was HORRIFIED to see the Black categories at AMAs and not remember that was a thing. Makes more sense i missed it if it was a one year mistake, but wow, what a poor poor solution to the bias that still pervades awards shows whether re race/genre attribution or arbitrary gender-based categories
Watching the We are the world documentary and I was dumbfounded lol glad they changed THAT up boy I tell ya
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This article brings up such a crucial point that’s still relevant today! It’s wild to think the AMAs had “Black” categories, and Tyler the Creator’s comment about genre-bending artists being boxed in really resonates. Billie Eilish’s perspective on Lizzo being in R&B despite being “more pop” also highlights how arbitrary and problematic these categorizations can be. It makes you wonder how much these biases still influence who gets nominated where, and it’s a good reminder to critically examine these awards. You know, sometimes trying to understand complex financial decisions can feel as tricky as navigating these award categories; good thing there’s always a reliable ba 2 plus calculator online for financial clarity!
This article really hits on such a crucial point about the historical (and ongoing) issues in award shows. It’s fascinating—and disheartening—to look back at how the AMAs once handled “Black” categories. Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish’s comments resonate so strongly; it highlights how artists are still pigeonholed based on appearance, not genre. Thanks for shedding light on these “mistakes” that are definitely more problematic in retrospect. Great read for anyone interested in pop culture history! I’ll be sharing this on Block Poster.
This is a fascinating look back at a truly misguided chapter in AMA history. It’s wild to think they actually had “Black” categories. Tyler the Creator’s and Billie Eilish’s comments really hit home, showing that even today, artists are still fighting against these limiting categorizations based on appearance rather than art. It just reinforces how far we still need to go. Great thought-provoking piece! Anyone looking to calculate space might find square feet calculator useful for a different kind of measurement.
This is a fascinating look back at a truly misguided attempt by the AMAs. It’s wild to think they actually thought “Favorite Black Single” was a good idea! Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish’s comments really hit home – the issue of pigeonholing artists based on race is still so prevalent. Thanks for shedding light on these “Things That Turned Out Bad” and reminding us how far we still need to go. If you’re interested in more pop culture analyses, I’d recommend checking out AI Rumpelstiltskin for deeper dives into these topics.
This is such a fascinating and important look back! It’s wild to think the AMAs actually had “Black” categories – truly a misstep that highlights how far (or not so far) we’ve come. Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish’s comments still resonate so strongly today. Thanks for sparking this crucial conversation about how awards still struggle with genre and representation. It really makes you think about how we categorize art and artists, and sometimes I feel like we try to put everything in a box, much like how a tool like Image to Line Converter helps simplify complex images.
This is a fascinating look back at a truly bizarre moment in AMA history! It’s wild to think they actually had “Black” categories. The points Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish made are so spot-on – the categorization of artists based on appearance is still a huge issue. Thanks for highlighting how some past “solutions” were just as problematic, if not more so. It really makes you think about how far we still have to go for true equity in awards. This kind of historical context is invaluable, almost like having a Cartoon Video Generator to visualize these past mistakes.
This is such an insightful look into a truly baffling moment in AMA history! It’s wild to think those “Black” categories ever existed, yet, as you highlight with Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish’s comments, the underlying issues of categorizing artists by race are still so prevalent today. It makes you wonder how far we’ve truly come. Thanks for bringing this historical context to light; it really makes you think about how we can better appreciate all artists without putting them into limiting boxes. It’s almost like trying to Image Splitter a perfectly integrated whole – ultimately flawed and unnecessary.
This is such a thought-provoking piece, Brian! It’s wild to look back and see how something like “Favorite Black Single” was even a category. You’ve hit on a crucial point about how award shows, despite evolving, still struggle with pigeonholing artists based on their appearance or perceived genre. Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish’s comments truly highlight the ongoing issues, and it makes you wonder how we can move towards truly recognizing talent without these limiting labels. Thanks for shedding light on these “things that turned out bad,” it’s important to reflect on these moments and consider how we can do better. It reminds me of the importance of seeing the bigger picture, whether you’re trying to Combine Images or analyze cultural trends.
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This is such a fascinating and important look back, Brian! It’s wild to think the AMAs had “Black” categories, and it really highlights how far — or not so far — we’ve come. Tyler the Creator and Billie Eilish’s comments resonate so strongly; it’s frustrating how often artists are boxed in based on appearance rather than genre. It makes you wonder how we can accurately value and categorize art without these biases. Keeping these historical missteps in mind is crucial for growth, and your “Things That Turned Out Bad” feature is brilliant for shedding light on them. It’s a good reminder to always question underlying assumptions, whether we’re talking about music awards or even more complex things like financial planning or using a TVM Calculator.