The 2018 Grammys featured phenomenal female artists that shared their stories and creativity with the world in the midst of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Despite the amount of female talent at the Grammys, only one woman, Alessia Cara, took home a Grammy that she did not deserve. Her album was 3 years old and she still qualified for Best New Artist. Even though there were many men deserving of their awards because of their brilliance and dedication, many females were equally and often more deserving of the awards.

Some of the most recognizable female names were Kesha, SZA, P!nk, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, and Lana Del Rey. However, none of these women won a Grammy despite their enormous contributions to the music industry. Ke$ha was most deserving for her current album, Rainbow, that describes her journey of healing after being physically, mentally, and sexually abused by her producer, Dr. Luke. According to iTunes, her single, “Praying”, was #2 in the country during the summer. In the era of Harvey Weinstein and Larry Nassar, her album made an important contribution in the sexual assault survivors discussions. At her performance at the Grammys, she shared the stage with survivors of sexual assault and dedicated the performance to the survivors. Her activism and initiative is not the only reason she should have gotten the award over Sheeran’s “Shape of You” (which objectifies women’s bodies). Her music inspires people everywhere to be courageous. Ke$ha was not the only woman robbed of an award.

SZA’s album Ctrl featured amazing songs such as “Weekend” and “Love Galore”. Her music had a relaxed beat resembling 90’ R&B, but with a modern twist. Her album continues to stay popular and was released in the summer of 2017. Alessia Cara’s latest song was produced in 2016. SZA was both the newer artist and had more popular songs than Cara.

Khalid was also deserving of the award. His album, American Teen, had catchy songs that had a new wave style presented in many current pop songs. His songs “Saved”, “Therapy”, and “Young, Dumb, and Broke” embody what it is to be a teenager in America. His music videos often feature a diverse cast and upbeat nature. His album also came out in 2017. Alessia Cara still defended her title on Instagram, promising to use her platform “to bring light to the issues that aren’t fair”. Cara’s hard work and ability to be socially conscious is commemorable, but is she really more worthy than Khalid and SZA for the award?

Even if it was universally believed that everyone who got their award was the best person in their category, the fact that only one woman won an award made a huge statement at the Grammys. Ultimately, none of the winners chose to be nominated for the Grammys or had any say in who would win. It is important to remember that we can’t blame the artists for their success. Of course, they could follow Adele and give their awards to those they think are more deserving (like Beyonce), but for many of the artists, they feel as if they are deserving and their hardwork has paid off. We shouldn’t blame the artist, but we should hold the people who run the Grammys accountable. Deciding who wins the Grammys seems like a black box, but there is a panel of judges that ultimately decides. It is important for the winners of such a prestigious award to reflect the current values held in our society. For example songs about the objectification of women (“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran) should not win due to the current climate set by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.