Mariah Carey has recently been awarded the Global Impact Award from the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective, and the singer did not miss the opportunity to throw shade at the Grammys. It has been almost two decades since her last win, so receiving such a recognition was definitely a momentous event.
Carey is known for her vocal prowess and the signature use of the whistle register. The 54-year-old songwriter with a five-octave vocal range has also been dubbed by the Guinness World Records as Songbird Supreme.
Mariah Carey Throws A Shade At The Grammy Awards Night
As Mariah Carey accepted her honor last Thursday, the singer jokingly said that she had not seen or held a Grammy award in a very long time. This was definitely a comical shade at how she last won an accolade almost twenty years ago (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“Is this a real Grammy? I haven’t seen one in soooooo long. It’s weird. I don’t know. We’ll figure out what this is later.”
There’s no question that Carey is one of the most record-breaking artists of all time. Her music has been played all around the world, hitting the number-one spot in the charts. She has been nominated for 34 Grammy categories and won five of them. The singer reflected on her lengthy musical career in Hollywood:
“When I first started in the music business, I was often told to conform to certain expectations. I was not encouraged to focus on my love for Black music. It took countless arguments, endless tantrums — I’ll call them tantrums — and mostly unwavering determination but, eventually, I was able to reveal my authentic self, as they say, and create music that came from my heart. In doing so, I discovered a newfound sense of freedom and fulfillment.”
She received the award from the Black Music Collective for being a Black artist whose music helped influence the industry and inspire people all across the globe.
“I accept this award on behalf of every person who has ever felt silenced or marginalized, who has ever been told their voice doesn’t matter. Your truth matters. We will continue to pave the way together for a future where authenticity is celebrated, diversity is embraced, and music has the power to change the world.”
Carey won her first two Grammy awards during her first year as a debut artist, though she remarked that staying true to herself and her music is more important than any awards.
Mariah Carey Could Not Care Less About Her Grammys
In a 2018 interview with V Magazine via ABC News, Mariah Carey admitted she did not care about winning Grammy awards. For her, writing her own songs and not following what is popular and trending was her top priority.
“In the music business, if you care about the Grammys and submitting your stuff before a certain time frame, you want a single out in the summer, and then you want to have your record [out] before the Grammys [consideration] deadline, which has changed. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
She won best new artist and best female pop vocal performance in 1991, as well as three R&B honors at the 2006 Grammy Awards for her hit song ‘We Belong Together’ under her album, The Emancipation of Mimi.
“I mean, I have five Grammys. That’s cute. There’s people that have been doing this half the time that have twice as many.”
Carey’s trolling of the Grammys is just one way of making the award-giving body take a step back and reevaluate how they choose their winners.
