Grammy ratings drop as stars push political messages
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The 66th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony struggled to maintain its audience, experiencing a significant drop in viewership despite featuring some of music’s biggest names like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar.
Nielsen data revealed that Sunday’s CBS broadcast attracted 15.4 million viewers, marking an 8.8 percent decline from the previous year’s 16.9 million viewers.
During the event at Los Angeles’ Crypto Arena, several celebrities used their platform to address controversial social and political topics, including discussions about DEI initiatives and transgender rights.
Terrible Acting job from Beyoncé when trying to act surprised that she didn’t know the award was going to her. We all know the Grammy’s and Oscar’s are completely irrelevant and rigged. This is why the ratings haven’t seen 20+ million views in 8yrs. https://t.co/NTktoYYPKz
— Ben (@TheSportsVetran) February 3, 2025
Among these moments was Lady Gaga’s political statement while presenting: “Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love, the queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you.”
Similarly, Alicia Keys spoke about diversity initiatives, stating: “This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices. We’ve seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”
The Grammy Awards, like many prestigious entertainment industry ceremonies, has witnessed a dramatic decline in viewership over recent years as millions of American households choose alternative entertainment options.
Grammy Awards Ratings Plummet 9 Percent After Celebrities Lecture Viewers With DEI, Trans Propaganda https://t.co/cntcXBMxWE
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) February 4, 2025
The show’s audience reached its pinnacle in 2012 with nearly 40 million viewers. While there was a brief resurgence in viewership following the pandemic years, Sunday’s numbers indicate the ceremony remains far from recapturing its former glory days of just ten years ago.
The declining trend isn’t unique to the Grammys – this year’s Golden Globes broadcast on CBS also experienced diminished viewership, losing one million viewers compared to the previous year’s ceremony.
