Top 10 Craziest Grammy Scandals
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Grammys Scandals & Controversies. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most shocking, controversial happenings involving the Grammy Awards, from snubs to on-screen blunders and more. Which of these scandals surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments!
#10: Mariah Carey Snubbed
“38th Annual Grammy Awards” (1996)
After the year of “Fantasy,” some found these nominations to be a nightmare. Despite her album “Daydream” and its singles getting nods in several major categories, Mariah Carey walked away from the 38th Grammy Awards empty-handed. Although every year has a few unlucky artists, Carey being passed over was particularly surprising. Besides having a standout year that earned her nominations in six categories, she opened the show and many expected a sweep. It wouldn’t be the first time a legend was passed over by the ceremony in their prime, with Prince not winning a single Grammy for his “1999” album. Thankfully, Carey’s snub was somewhat rectified a decade later when she received three Grammys for her “The Emancipation of Mimi” album.
#9: Jethro Tull Beats Metallica
“31st Annual Grammy Awards” (1989)
There are metal fans who still haven’t forgiven the Grammys for this 1989 upset. At the 31st Grammy Awards, Alice Cooper shocked millions when announcing Jethro Tull’s win over Metallica for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. This didn’t sit right with people for a few reasons. Metallica was considered the favorite, and people felt the genres shouldn’t have been merged in the first place, as Jethro Tull definitely wasn’t metal. Fortunately, the Recording Academy gave both genres their own category the following year. Funnily enough, Metallica shouted out the band that once beat them while accepting the award for Best Metal Performance in 1992!
#8: Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl Apology
“46th Annual Grammy Awards” (2004)
There was only one week separating the 2004 Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards. At this point, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson were hot off their infamous wardrobe malfunction at the football game’s halftime show. The pair were allowed to attend the Grammys, but only if they apologized for their part in the mishap while there. While Jackson opted to stay home, Timberlake showed up to perform and accept two awards. He acknowledged the awkward elephant in the room during one speech, and seemed to be totally off the hook. Meanwhile, Jackson continued to bear the brunt of the criticism and was effectively blacklisted. Two years later, she spoke a bit about how Timberlake handled the controversy on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”.
#7: 50 Cent Interrupts Evanescence
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“46th Annual Grammy Awards” (2004)
Upon losing the Grammy Award for Best New Artist to rock group Evanescence, 50 Cent decided to walk across the stage as lead singer Amy Lee began her speech. She was visibly caught off guard by the rapper’s stunt, while he proceeded to acknowledge the camera. The move thankfully didn’t spawn a major highly-publicized feud, but 50 later proved he never fully got over the loss. When accepting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020, he joked about losing the award in his speech. He even implied that Evanescence has since been forgotten. As they once sang, these wounds won’t seem to heal.
#6: The Boycott
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“31st Annual Grammy Awards” (1989)
The Grammy Awards made history in 1989 by introducing the Best Rap Performance category. Unfortunately, producers chose not to televise it. As a result, nominees like Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith, then The Fresh Prince, boycotted the ceremony for not including the award in the main show. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince won nevertheless, and were nominated again in 1990. While the Recording Academy has continued to face criticism for alleged racial bias, they did add the award to the televised agenda that year. As for Smith, he would continue to call out lack of diversity in award shows with #OscarsSoWhite.
#5: Controversial Nominees
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“64th Annual Grammy Awards” (2022)
Swift backlash came when Louis C.K., Marilyn Manson, and Dave Chappelle were nominated in categories at the 2022 Grammy Awards. They had been accused of misconduct, assault, and transphobia, respectively, so many felt they had no place being recognized in this way. The situation ignited debate, with the Recording Academy CEO’s official – and controversial – stance essentially being that art should be separated from the artist. C.K. went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, with both him and Chappelle receiving nominations for the 2023 ceremony as well. Along with artists like The Weeknd expressing frustration at being snubbed altogether, each new round of Grammy nods is sure to drum up a scandal.
#4: “Soy Bomb”
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“40th Annual Grammy Awards” (1998)
When Bob Dylan was performing “Love Sick” at the Grammys in 1998, backup dancer Michael Portnoy tore off his shirt. On his chest were the words “Soy Bomb”, written so big they were impossible to ignore. You wouldn’t know it based on Dylan’s cool and collected non-reaction, but this was completely unplanned. Portnoy wasn’t compensated due to his stunt, which was relentlessly spoofed in pop culture. However, he was ultimately able to evade charges and continue a varied career as a performance artist. Portnoy has since explained the meaning of the two-word poem, but it’s only caused more confusion. Dylan himself has rarely commented on the gimmick, which is why this explosive moment continues to confound all these years later.
#3: Eminem & Elton John’s Performance
“43rd Annual Grammy Awards” (2001)
The Grammys are known for featuring unexpected artist match-ups, but not everyone was happy with this one. With organizations like GLAAD labeling Eminem’s music homophobic, Elton John received considerable backlash for collaborating with him ahead of the 2001 awards. The event garnered many protesters, with the gay music legend and Eminem coming together for a rendition of the rapper’s hit “Stan.” Eminem concluded the performance by embracing John and insulting the crowd with a hand gesture, an apparent message to his critics. The two artists have maintained a close relationship over the years, with John denying that Eminem was ever homophobic.
#2: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Beat Kendrick Lamar
“56th Annual Grammy Awards” (2014)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis may have had great commercial success with “The Heist.” But Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city” was seen as the more deserving pick to win Best Rap Album at the 56th Grammy Awards. When the latter shockingly lost to the former, Macklemore took it upon himself to text Lamar apologizing for robbing him of the award. Lamar won zero of the seven categories he was nominated for that year. While he’s since gotten the award for Best Rap Album, he’s also been passed over for Album of the Year multiple times — namely losing to Taylor Swift’s “1989” in 2016. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s any bad blood between the pair.
#1: Milli Vanilli Lip-Syncing Scandal
“32nd Annual Grammy Awards” (1990)
Shortly after Milli Vanilli were awarded the Best New Artist Grammy in 1990, the R&B duo became embroiled in a massive lip-syncing controversy. While many performers mime to their own vocals on stage, Milli Vanilli’s real voices weren’t even used on their own albums. The news shocked the industry, and the backlash was incredibly strong. In the end, the pair were forced to relinquish their Grammy. Singer Rob Pilatus, who made up one half of the duo, sadly passed away in 1998, while he and his Milli Vanilli counterpart Fab Morvan were staging a return to the spotlight.
