February 6, 2023 by A.S. Van Dorston

“I love you all and fuck off.” — Ozzy Osbourne

Coincidentally, that’s what my cat, who’s also named Ozzy, says, at least with his body language before and after his meals. While this is just a thing that Ozzy says, it could also be construed to the fact that the metal and rock categories have been relegated to the kiddie table . . . outside of the house and in the backyard shed. They haven’t been televised in so long that no one remembers when they last were. It’s been nearly two decades.

Not that Ozzy Osbourne really needs to care. While I’m sure he was was chuffed to be honored with two additional Grammys, for a total of five for his career, it was just days after he announced his retirement from touring. He did not attend the pre-telecast ceremony at the 65th annual Grammy Awards, held last night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, because why bother? The disrespect for rock and metal continues.

Ozzy previously won three Grammy Awards and received eight nominations, including Best Metal Performance for “I Don’t Want To Change The World” in 1993 and two Grammys with Black Sabbath for Best Metal Performance in 2000 for “Iron Man” and in 2013 for “God Is Dead?”. From the kiddie table in the backyard shed of the Crypto.com Arena, producer Andrew Watt and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who played on “Degradation Rules”, accepted the award for Ozzy, where they relayed a message from Osbourne: “I love you all and fuck off.”

Just a few days previously, Osbourne announced. “I have now come to the realization that I’m not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/U.K. tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required. Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really FUCKS ME UP, more than you will ever know. Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way. My team is currently coming up with ideas for where I will be able to perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.”

He suffered a spinal injury in a 2019 fall, necessitating multiple surgeries, stem cell treatments, and “endless physical therapy sessions.” In February 2020, he postponed the North American leg of his No More Tours 2 run after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

While Megadeth and Turnstile were probably better options for winning the Metal Performance category, “Degradation Rules,” featuring Tony Iommi on guitar, was arguably better than the options from Ghost and Muse. However, for the Best Rock Album category, Patient Number 9 definitely was not as deserving as Spoon’s Lucifer on the Sofa, nor The Black Keys, Elvis Costello & the Imposters or Idles. As entertaining and important to the history of metal Ozzy is, he hasn’t released a solid solo album in over 40 years. But thanks to shrewd business management from his wife Sharon, the Ozzfest tours and even willingly humiliating himself on the reality show The Osbournes (2002-05), Ozzy has become an icon that transcends the quality of his musical output. Considering more current artists like Dream Theater (Gojira should have won), Tool, High On Fire, Mastodon and Ghost won the category in recent years, this is a step back from acknowledging the relevance of metal.

Let’s talk about the lack of an album category for metal. Albums are still very much relevant in the music world. It’s no coincidence that the televised awards ends at a peak with announcing the winner of the overall album category, which Harry Styles won last night. That was pretty absurd, as Styles is a singles/video/fashion/film artist, and Harry’s House is decidedly more filler than killer.

Metal was first thrown a scrap back in 1989 when the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category was added, and Jethro Tull famously won over Metallica. They have never been given an album category. Americana has an album category. Traditional Blues does too. So do Contemporary Blues, Reggae, Traditional Pop Vocal, Jazz Vocal, Jazz Instrumental, Latin Jazz, American Roots, World Music, even Immersive Music. New Age has its own album category, for fuck’s sake. The argument that the Grammys is a business and they focus on what sells, doesn’t make any sense. According to the 2022 Luminate Year-End Music Report (which replaced Nielsen in partnership with Billboard), Rock (which presumably includes hard rock and metal) is by far the top selling genre in album sales, with 43% of the market’s total album sales, compared to R&B/Hip-Hop’s 13.7%, Pop’s 10.6% and Country’s 7%.

It’s true that there are no metal or even rock artists who regularly haunt the top of the singles and album charts like pop behemoths Adele, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift (though Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blackpink and, ugh, Machine Gun Kelly did reach #1 last year), because there is a wider variety of artists who make up the still very significant amount of rock and metal album sales, not to mention concert tickets, t-shirts and other merchandise. Over three (3) million people bought tickets for Iron Maiden’s Legacy of the Beast tour in 2022. According to the UK’s Official Charts, Arctic Monkeys’ The Car was the #3 selling vinyl album, Wet Leg’s debut #6 (which won the Best Alternative Album category), Fontaines D.C. and Muse #9 and 10. Amidst lots of catalog titles from Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Nirvana and Queen, Yard Act, Foals, Smile, and Black Country New Road made the top 40.

Anyone who cares even a little about music knows that rock is not nearly enough to encompass all it’s genres. Best Hard Rock performance was nixed in a bloodbath of Grammy categories in 2012. It was merged with metal for 2012 and ‘13 before disappearing again. I can see why many artists and people have just given up on the Grammys. Even adding hard rock and metal album categories wouldn’t begin to scratch the surface of the vast world of rock that includes a dozens of varieties of psychedelic, prog, punk, hardcore, extreme metal, noise, avant-garde/experimental, indie and more. But it would be the VERY LEAST they could do.

Despite the bullshit, I watched the Grammys, fast-forwarding through much of it. There were some nice moments, reflecting some cause for optimism regarding the inclusiveness of the queer and transgender communities, with German singer/songwriter Kim Petras giving a great speech about being the first openly transgender woman to receive a Grammy for the Best Pop Duo Performance category for “Unholy” with Sam Smith. She thanked the late SOPHIE for blazing the trail. Lizzo had a great speech about her mission of positivity and thanked Prince, while Beyoncé gave a shoutout to the queer community. Bonnie Raitt was a cool surprise win for Song of the Year for “Just Like That,” a heartwarming story song about her son donating his heart and the recipient coming to thank the mother. She namechecked John Prine as an influence on that song. The all-star performance commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop was the highlight of the ceremony. However, if they’re going to base the anniversary on DJ Kool Herc inventing hip-hop in back yard and basement parties in The Bronx in 1973, shouldn’t they have acknowledged him? Given him an award? Named the Global Impact Award after him rather than Dr. Dre? Such is the pattern of the perpetually tone-deaf, ridiculous Grammys.

Album of the Year: Harry Styles – Harry’s House

ABBA – Voyage, Adele – 30, Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti, Beyoncé – RENNAISSANCE, Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days, Coldplay – Music of the Spheres, Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Lizzo – Special.

Record of the Year: Lizzo – “About Damn Time”

Doja Cat, Steve Lacy, ABBA, Adele, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Kendrick Lamar.

Song of the Year: Bonnie Raitt – “Just Like That”

abcdefu, Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Steve Lacy, Adele, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar.

Best New Artist: Samara Joy

6nitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD Beck, Muni Long, Latto, Måneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle, Wet Leg.

Best Rock Performance: Brandi Carlile – “Broken Horses”

Bryan Adams – So Happy It Hurts
Beck – Old Man
The Black Keys – Wild Child
Idles – Crawl!
Ozzy Osbourne featuring Jeff Beck – Patient Number 9
Turnstile – Holiday

Best Rock Song: Brandi Carlile – “Broken Horses”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Black Summer
Turnstile – Blackout
The War on Drugs – Harmonia’s Dream
Ozzy Osbourne – Patient No. 9

Best Metal Performance: Ozzy Osbourne featuring Tony Iommi – “Degradation Rules”

Ghost – Call Me Little Sunshine
Megadeth – We’ll Be Back
Muse – Kill or Be Killed
Turnstile – Blackout

Best Rock Album: Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9

The Black Keys – Dropout Boogie
Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If
Idles – Crawler
Machine Gun Kelly – Mainstream Sellout
Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa

Best Alternative Music Performance: Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue”

Arctic Monkeys – There’d Better Be A Mirrorball
Big Thief – Certainty
Florence + The Machine – King
Yeah Yeah Yeahs featuring Perfume Genius – Spitting Off the Edge of the World

Best Alternative Music Album: Wet Leg – Wet Leg

Arcade Fire – WE
Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Björk – Fossora
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool it Down

Best Progressive R&B Album: Steve Lacy – Gemini Rights

Cory Henry – Operation Funk
Terrace Martin – Drones
Moonchild – Starfruit
Tank and the Bangas – Red Balloon

Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album: White Sun – Mystic Mirror

Will Ackerman – Positano Songs
Paul Avgerinos – Joy
Madi Das & Dave Stringer with Bhakti Without Borders – Mantra Americana
Cheryl B. Engelhardt – The Passenger

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson, Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra – Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra

John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren & SWR Big Band – Bird Lives
Ron Carter & The Jazzaar Festival Big Band Directed By Christian Jacob – Remembering Bob Freedman
Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & WDR Big Band Conducted By Michael Abene – Center Stage
Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows – Architecture Of Storms

Best Contemporary Blues Album: Edgar Winter – Brother Johnny

Shemekia Copeland – Done Come Too Far
Eric Gales – Crown
Ben Harper – Bloodline Maintenance
North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail

Best Global Music Album: Masa Takumi – Sakura

Berklee Indian Ensemble – Shuruaat
Burna Boy – Love, Damini
Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf – Queen Of Sheba
Anoushka Shankar, Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago – Between Us… (Live)

Best Historical Album: Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Edition)

Blondie – Against The Odds: 1974-1982
Glenn Gould – The Goldberg Variations – The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions
Doc Watson – Life’s Work: A Retrospective
Freestyle Fellowship – To Whom It May Concern…

Best Comedy Album: Dave Chappelle – The Closer

Jim Gaffigan – Comedy Monster
Randy Rainbow – A Little Brains, A Little Talent
Louis CK – Sorry
Patton Oswalt – We All Scream

Best Immersive Audio Album: Divine Tides – Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Stewart Copeland, Ricky Kej & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej)

AGUILERA – Jaycen Joshua, immersive mix engineer; Jaycen Joshua, immersive mastering engineer (Christina Aguilera)
Memories…Do Not Open -Mike Piacentini, immersive mix engineer; Mike Piacentini, immersive mastering engineer; Adam Alpert, Alex Pall, Jordan Stilwell & Andrew Taggart, immersive producers (The Chainsmokers)
Picturing The Invisible – Focus 1 – Jim Anderson, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive mastering engineers; Jane Ira Bloom & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive producers (Jane Ira Bloom)
Tuvayhun — Beatitudes For A Wounded World -Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer (Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene)

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