Why Eminem hates The Grammys

Even in the entertainment world, you can’t expect everybody to be a social butterfly all the time. Whether or not someone is a great performer and creative mind, going to award shows and spending time in the public eye can be tough—and it can really put the pressure on.

One of the artists that makes this clear as day is the rapper Eminem, specifically with the most popular and prestigious music award shows: The Grammys. Eminem may be an extremely celebrated artist with lots of accolades, but he has expressed that he has no desire to go to The Grammys again. 

In an interview, Eminem said of the award show, “I’m tired of seeing it. For whatever reason, they’re always pitching this hint that you might win album of the year, which used to be a big deal. I don’t think it’s a big deal now.” It seems as though Eminem isn’t just tired of all the fanfare around red carpets and events in general, but also the concept of someone winning or losing based on their art in the first place.

He went on to say in 2017 in reference to the outcome of the show, “I sat at home this year for the Grammys and watched Jay and Kendrick not get it, and I felt like one of them should have got it.” He said this regarding the album of the year category, in which the award went to Bruno Mars. 

After he expressed his opinion on the specifics, he ended things off by saying, “Please do not ask me. My answer is no for a hundred million years, never again will I f—ing go to the Grammys.” That’s about as clear as it gets when it comes to his convictions.

This could be considered a curious statement coming from him, especially after receiving so many Grammy awards and nominations throughout his career. The rapper has even been nominated for a Grammy since he made those claims, specifically in 2019 for the category of best rap song. However, like he said when he was talking about his disdain for the event, he didn’t win the award—he simply recieved a nomination, which is nonetheless a huge accomplishment. The last time he won a Grammy award was in 2015.

Some artists reach a point in their career that allows them to prioritize what really matters to them regardless of public perception and accolades, and this is one of those times.