Due to a number of unforgettable moments and landmark wins, the 2021 Grammy Awards are still a hot trending topic—but that didn’t translate to viewership. The Grammy Awards this year earned the lowest ratings in the show’s 63-year history, continuing a pattern that may be the new standard for award shows in the COVID-19 period.
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards featured a lot of #BlackExcellence, but the ratings for this year’s display did not represent that excellence. During the 3-hour and 43-minute special, the Grammys averaged a new low of 8.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. That’s down 53% from last year’s broadcast, which attracted 18.7 million viewers on January 26, 2020.
These numbers are close (and even lower) than the 6.9 million viewers who tuned in to watch the Golden Globes in late February, which set a new low for one of Hollywood’s biggest award shows. Prior to that, the 2020 Emmys had already received poor ratings, with just 6.1 million viewers.
COVID-19 has completely changed the way award shows are viewed and attended, which is one of the key reasons for the poor viewing figures, but if you look at rating numbers prior to COVID-19, things were already on the decline.
Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Nas, H.E.R., and Kanye West were among the major winners at the Grammy Awards, which also included performances by Cardi B, DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, and Doja Cat.
