Protest At Grammy Awards Planned Because It Looks A Bit Racist These Days

Awards ceremonies are pointless, unless you win something at one of them. Then they're the best thing ever for all of around 5 seconds (basically, 'til the free bar is closed). So should we get worked up about them? 

OF COURSE WE SHOULD! These junkets are there to be mocked mercilessly. They are arbiters of taste and all that is deemed good, so everyone should gather round them and poke them with as many pointed sticks as they can get their awful, grubby little hands on.

So you'll be thrilled to know that a bunch of musicians are going to hold a protest outside Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony over a decision to unceremoniously axe 31 'ethnic and minority musical categories' from the bash.

Now, we're not saying that the Grammies are racist at all. However, this protest seems to be implying that is what's going on here. Organisers of the protest are hoping that fans and artists around the world of Latin jazz, gospel and blues will join in and attend an alternative concert.

23,000 people have already signed a petition which demands that the Recording Academy reinstate Grammy awards for Native American and Hawaiian music, and reverse cuts in categories for Latin Jazz, Gospel, R&B and Blues that were axed in a seemingly pointless overhaul last year.

And some famous people have signed up too! Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt and Bobby Sanabria are among those that aren't happy with the cuts.

Spokesman Robert Sax (great name, lad) said that the protest would be held outside the Staples Center in LA before everyone tootles off for the Not Those Awards All-Star Latin Jazz Jam at a Los Angeles nightclub.

Jazz artist, Matos, says:

"We are holding this concert to remind music fans about all the great music that has been eliminated from the Grammys. To paraphrase what Frank Sinatra said at the first Grammy Awards in 1959, 'Remember, the awards are about excellence, not popularity.'"

And who leads the pack at the Grammies? Well, Kanye West has seven nominations and Bruno Mars has a bunch too. Rihanna will also be performing, which really drives a nail into the coffin of the argument that the Grammies are a bit racist.

Oh well.

At least the cocaine dealers will be having a good time in the run-up to it.