Year after year, people tune in to the Grammy Awards to see a gathering of the industry elite & star-studded performances. Whether it be out of sheer curiosity, boredom, FOMO, or water cooler talk for the next day at the office, it seems to be a habit that some people don’t want to break. But what are the Grammys in reality?

The Recording Academy has self-declared and marketed the Grammy Awards as “music’s biggest night”. At first glance this doesn’t seem like a far-fetched claim until you question “biggest night” by whose standards? The general public aka consumers of music aren’t asked for their opinions on any of the categories to be awarded. The general public can’t even attend, yet are coaxed into watching to be told what to like and generate ad revenue. Their opinions and presence is unwanted but their attention is needed to allow the ceremony to maintain its aura of prestige.

So if the public can’t vote for the music and artists they like, who’s calling the shots? Voting members of the Recording Academy. How does one become a voting member of the Recording Academy? You must be invited. How does one get invited? By getting approved by the Peer Review panel that reviews new member submissions annually in the spring. How do you submit to become a new member? By receiving two “strong” recommendations from music industry peers and completing a profile.

This rigorous process is in place for a reason. An academy by definition is a group that promotes and maintains standards in its specific field. So the membership process is designed to sustain exclusivity. By keeping a tight rein on membership, the Recording Academy can maintain control over what they deem to be music industry standards.

Inevitably there are artists and songs that don’t hit the undisclosed mark and don’t win or weren’t even nominated. Once this occurs, the news outlets and blogs begin touting “Grammy snubs” as if the public should be upset that an award with no quantifiable metrics wasn’t given by a bunch of people who aren’t even in touch with what the masses appreciate. The outrage alone increases the feigned relevance of the award ceremony.

In 1989 they decided to add a Hip Hop category, but decided to not televise it. This led to a boycott by many in the Hip Hop community including then nominated Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff. In 1990, they decided to televise it but some continued to boycott.

Back then those who boycotted understood what many may have forgotten. The people hold the power. The Grammys only hold the relevance that we give it.

Take a look at the categories for which they offer awards.

Four primary categories:

• Record of the Year

• Song of the Year

• Album of the Year

• Best New Artist

Remaining categories:

Best Pop Solo Performance
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Dance Recording
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Best Rock Performance
Best Metal Performance
Best Rock Song
Best Rock Album
Best Alternative Music Album
Best R&B Performance
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Best R&B Song
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Best R&B Album
Best Rap Performance
Best Rap/Sung Performance
Best Rap Song
Best Rap Album
Best Country Solo Performance
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Best Country Song
Best Country Album
Best New Age Album
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Best Latin Jazz Album
Best Gospel Performance/Song
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Best Gospel Album
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Best Roots Gospel Album
Best Latin Pop Album
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Best Tropical Latin Album
Best American Roots Performance
Best American Roots Song
Best Americana Album
Best Bluegrass Album
Best Traditional Blues Album
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Best Folk Album
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Best Reggae Album
Best World Music Album
Best Children's Music Album
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Best Comedy Album
Best Musical Theater Album
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

Best Song Written For Visual Media
Best Instrumental Composition
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
Best Recording Package
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
Best Album Notes
Best Historical Album
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Best Remixed Recording
Best Immersive Audio Album
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Producer Of The Year, Classical
Best Orchestral Performance
Best Opera Recording
Best Choral Performance
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Best Classical Compendium
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Best Music Video
Best Music Film

Think of how many unsung heroes could be missing from any of those categories. Yet, we are told that they’re choosing from the best of the best and we tune in to propagate their elitism. In the midst of their painfully obvious efforts to keep their club from being infiltrated, we buy into being angry about a “snub” as if a Grammy actually equates to success. We ignore what the Grammys are— mass marketing to the public their chosen media darlings— and we keep helping them maintain the facade that it’s about talent. It’s equivalent to choosing to sit through skippable YouTube ads for hours at a time.