The Grammy Awards—long viewed as the pinnacle of musical achievement—are once again under fire after Eminem delivered a scathing rebuke of the institution, accusing it of operating under a “fake” voting system and vowing never to attend the ceremony again.
His sharp criticism has revived long-standing concerns about the credibility of the Recording Academy, which has frequently been accused of bias, favoritism, and a lack of recognition for hip-hop’s overwhelming cultural impact.
In a recent interview, the Detroit icon didn’t hold back. Eminem claimed the Grammys are driven more by industry politics than by artistic merit. “That vote is fake as f**k,” he said. “They hand awards to whoever they want. If I lose to someone like Kanye, cool—I can respect that. But don’t drag us there to boost your ratings and then snub us every time.”
The rapper—whose real name is Marshall Mathers—suggested his anger comes from years of perceived disrespect. “Don’t ever ask me to come back,” he insisted. “My answer is no for the next hundred million years. I’m done with the Grammys.”
Eminem’s remarks add to a chorus of recent high-profile complaints. In 2021, The Weeknd publicly boycotted the awards after his acclaimed album After Hours received zero nominations, calling the process “corrupt.” Artists like Nicki Minaj and Drake have voiced similar frustrations, with Drake even withholding his music from consideration.
Eminem’s sentiments trace back through his own history with the show. In 2004, he lost Album of the Year to Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, a moment he saw as emblematic of the Academy’s reluctance to fully embrace hip-hop. A similar controversy erupted in 2018 when Jay-Z, despite earning eight nominations, left the ceremony without a single win.
The Grammys’ uneasy relationship with rap is hardly new. Although hip-hop dominates global music culture, only three rap albums have ever taken home Album of the Year: Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999), Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004), and Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” (2019). Many attribute this disparity to an older, less diverse voting body whose tastes don’t reflect today’s audiences.
Eminem also touched on a broader criticism: the commercialization of award shows. With live broadcast ratings steadily declining, the Grammys increasingly depend on big-name artists to attract viewers—often inviting them to perform or appear onstage without any promise of recognition. Critics argue this tactic exploits artists and diminishes the legitimacy of the awards.
The Recording Academy has taken steps to respond to these issues, including expanding its voter base and adding new categories to better represent a wider range of music. But for artists like Eminem, such efforts feel insufficient—or far too late.
As the industry continues to confront questions of fairness and representation, Eminem’s explosive remarks underscore a larger truth: even the most prestigious institutions can be challenged. Whether the Grammys can repair their damaged reputation remains uncertain, but one thing is undeniable—artists are no longer staying quiet.
