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With the pressure of winning an award, artists may have a harder time making their next piece. Due to this pressure it tampers with their creativity, authenticity, and motivation for future projects.
With the 2025 VMA awards, new upcoming artist Addison Rae had spoken of her disappointment with not getting recognized.
It’s important to note that she is still fairly new to the music industry in comparison to many other artists. She has so much to learn and experience to make her a more well-rounded artist.
This doesn’t mean that her discography or music videos are bad either. I remember the first time I watched the music video for “Aquamarine.” It had me hooked.
The way Rae captured the song in this music video felt magical. The choreography and costume design were very captivating. It’s obvious she put in hard work on all the little details, so not winning an award felt to her like a slap to the face.
Winning an award in the music industry is ultimately a huge goal for artists; they do music their whole lives,hoping they can be recognized enough to win a Grammy, BMA (Billboard Music Awards), or a VMA (Video Music Award).
These awards become a symbol for “making it” in the music industry. It’s a sign that an artist’s music is good enough and well-loved by the people. This idea is very toxic to hold on to because it’s not necessarily true.
I believe there’s a difference between music being good and it being mainstream. These things can exist simultaneously; however, an artist can be good and not be in the spotlight.
That’s why it often becomes tricky for upcoming or underground artists to keep creating when they aren’t hitting record numbers, especially if they are comparing winning an award to their music being meaningful.
It can become discouraging to keep going when the music you spend months, or even years on doesn’t get recognized.
This has been the same for those who’ve been in the music industry for a very long time; an artist may be nominated for a category but not win anything at all.
During any music awards ceremony, when an artist wins in the best category for a genre, it begs the idea to all the other artists that their project just wasn’t “good enough” to make it.
For some artists, of course, it gets exhausting not winning any awards after multiple nominations after a while, but this toxic culture can also create a lack of authenticity.
When this happens, music is then created for the purpose of being mainstream, getting good listening numbers, and winning awards. These are all superficial ideas that take away from the true meaning of being an artist.
The meaning behind being an artist can change from person to person, but I find it to be someone who makes music to express themselves, make a connection with listeners, and touch the hearts of people in many different ways.
It doesn’t have to be serious, of course, it can be made for fun, but it should come from an artist’s heart. Their passion should shine through their work, and that’s impossible if it’s being made for the purpose of popularity. For the purpose of being a “winner” project.
The idea of winning an award is erasing the passion of making music; people lose touch within themselves. How will artists produce music and videos under their own creative direction without the influence of what’s popular?
Questions like “will this get views?” and “will this get noticed on social media?” can influence their decisions on what they should be doing as an artist. It’s losing individual creativity, for the sake of what others will like.
Artists won’t be willing to think outside the box, take a risk, or do something no one else has because there’s a possibility that it won’t be widely liked.
Yet, that’s how true creativity is born and what is respectable for an artist. When they are willing to do something no one else has, when they are pushed by their own volition.
These qualities of an artist are truly going to die if an award is the expectation or end goal. It’s not bad for an artist to want to win an award, but they shouldn’t let that change how they view their work.
At the end of the day, award events like the Grammys, VMA or BMAs, is all just an idea. With the process of the Grammy it’s not even up to the collection of the people. We don’t even have a say in what is “worthy” of a win.
Although this collection of people is filled with musical professionals, songwriters, and producers, who’s to say their opinion rules all?
The same applies to the VMAs; although there is an opportunity for fans to make a vote, nominees are chosen by MTV producers and executives. An artist can’t even have their supporters’ votes push them to win either.
Soon enough, artists are going to lose their steam and find no reason to stay doing music when it’s not being taken into consideration. When there is no “fair” way for them to be awarded.
Awards culture has created many harmful ideas and stigmas, preventing artists from feeling appreciated, staying true to themselves, and pushing them to keep pursuing in the industry.