While most of the Grammy attention seems focused on whatever absolutely insane stunt Kanye pulled this year, it’s important to remember that the awards also function as a marker for the legitimacy of electronic music in popular culture. Whether or not such broad acceptance is a boon to the scene is up for debate, but the increase in acceptance is undeniable.
While there wasn’t an electronic performance like last year’s Daft Punk and Stevie Wonder set, the momentum has by no means slowed. In the more mainstream segments, Avicii and Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars was nominated for the ‘Best Pop Duo/Group Performance’ award, as was DJ Snake and Lil’ Jon’s Turn Down for What in the ‘Best Music Video Category’—but sadly, neither song claimed victory.
The dance specific Grammys reflected a diversification of appreciation within electronic music as well, from Tiësto’s ‘Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical’ win for his edit of John Legend’s All of Me to Clean Bandit’s Rather Be victory in ‘Best Dance Recording’. However, the real shocker came in the ‘Best Dance/Electronic Album’, in which Aphex Twin’s Syro edged out mainstays Deadmau5 and Mat Zo for the Grammy, cementing the appeal of novelty and innovation within the industry.
Though these victories by no means dominated the 57th annual Grammy Awards, progress is undeniably being made in our scene. Does this bode well for the longevity of EDM? Do you just want to rant about Kanye some more? Either way, hit us up in the comments, or share the growing legitimacy of dance music with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!
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