Another GRAMMY Telecast, Another Snub For Rock Fans
Considering how rock/metal artists and their awards categories have been treated in recent history during GRAMMY telecasts, you’d think we would be used to being treated like the proverbial red-headed stepchild by now. However, the 60th GRAMMY Awards telecast has taken things another major step further.
This tweet from Avenged Sevenfold earlier this week indicates that the “Best Rock Song” category will not be aired during the telecast, and as a result, A7X are not attending.
Honored. Unfortunately they have taken "Best Rock Song" off the telecast this year so we won't be attending. Maybe next time. https://t.co/GIotEyLCuK
— Avenged Sevenfold (@TheOfficialA7X) January 23, 2018
Traditionally, at least one rock award category makes the telecast, but it appears that won’t be the case for the 60th GRAMMY Awards.
When A7X’s M. Shadows spoke with WRIF’s Meltdown back in December 2017, he expressed how specifically metal GRAMMYs usually aren’t aired and how fortunate A7X was to be nominated in a rock category, because they receive airtime:
“If you’re getting a metal award, they don’t actually televise it. So, no one sees it; it doesn’t move the needle at all. I think the GRAMMYs have to get that right. When you look at metal, it’s probably one of the healthiest genres when you look at it in a worldwide perspective. Every single country listens to metal, and whether it’s mainstream or not is irrelevant. People will watch your program if you’re giving awards to bands that deserve it and it’s actually on TV and help those bands push the needle forward. We’re fortunate this year to be in the rock category, because rock is on TV, and I think that’s the whole point. You want to get nominated for a GRAMMY, and you want to get noticed by people and seen on TV. It helps everybody when the bands can get bigger. So, the metal award is still a problem, because literally no one is going to see those bands or know that they’re nominated, and that’s an issue…Metal out of all of the genres is just completely misrepresented in a big way, and I think they could put that on TV and get some mainstream exposure for bands like Mastodon and Meshuggah. I think that’s cool.”
Additionally, U2, the token rock act performing during the telecast, will apparently not be performing live. Per TMZ, the band, who are not nominated for any GRAMMYs this year due to album release deadlines, will be pre-recording their performance tonight (January 26) on a barge in the Hudson River, and it will simply just air during the telecast.
Also, Elton John will be performing, but with Miley Cyrus, because a legend can’t just have the stage to himself? (We’re not quite sure.)
It also bears mentioning that no Tom Petty tribute has been announced either. We sincerely doubt there won’t be one at all and hope something big is planned that’s intended to be a surprise, but you can’t blame fans for questioning this considering just how poorly the rock and metal genres have been treated in recent years.
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
