Trapital Podcast: "What's a Grammy Worth? New Voters, New Winners, and Rewriting History"

Host: Dan Runcie
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special Trapital episode, Dan Runcie explores the significance of the 2026 Grammy nominations, focusing on how recent changes to the Recording Academy’s voting body are reshaping not just the nominees and winners—but even the broader music industry. The discussion covers diversity in representation, hip hop’s evolving role, shifts in cultural narratives, the real-world impact of a Grammy win, and a look back at how recent history might have been rewritten with today’s voters.

Guests include Tati Sirisano (Media Research), Panos Panay (President, Recording Academy), and author Zach O’Malley Greenburg.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Grammys Reflecting a New Era

• Major Changes at the Recording Academy:

  • Over the past five years, the Academy has diversified its membership to better reflect the global music scene.
  • Now 73% of the voter base is new since 2020, with significant shifts in racial, gender, and age representation.
    • [27:46] (Dan Runcie): “73% of the voting body is completely different... If we go back to the people that voted for those 2020 Grammys, around 75% of those voters were white, 66% were male, over 70% were over the age of 40...”

• Spotlighting International & Genre Diversity:

  • Bad Bunny, now a Grammy darling, is nominated in the major categories—Album, Record, Song of the Year.
  • Hip hop is breaking records with three nominations for Album of the Year—Tyler The Creator, Clips, and Kendrick Lamar.
    • [02:40] (Dan Runcie): “This is the first time ever that there’s been three rap albums that were nominated for Album of the Year category.”

• Evolving Beyond Old Narratives:

  • The show is becoming less predictable and more culturally relevant—with K-pop and international genres gaining traction.

2. 2026 Nominations: Immediate Reactions & Context

Guest: Tati Sirisano (Media Research)

• General Impressions:

  • The main categories felt expected with notable exceptions (e.g., Leon Thomas).
  • The "dawn of new stars" energy felt last year is a bit more muted, with many nominees feeling slightly past their biggest cultural moments.
    • [05:18] (Tati Sirisano): “At least in the big four, a lot of it sort of made sense and was what I expected... with most of the artists here, I sort of feel like their big cultural moment we’re a little bit removed from at this point.”

• Cultural vs. Commercial Success:

  • Recent Grammy wins have embodied both chart dominance and cultural narratives.
  • The distinction between correcting historic oversights and rewarding the year’s best work is increasingly blurred.
    • [07:56] (Dan Runcie): “The voting body has changed in a lot of ways, but it can be hard to know, okay, what is a vote that is a symbol of a broader correction versus an actual decision.”

• Genre Challenges:

  • Lines between genres blur further every year; tough for institutions to categorize music.
    • [10:25] (Tati Sirisano): “With every year, it’s getting harder... to categorize and award music on genre lines. Turnstile competing in three different genre categories with the same album... it’s a challenge for the Recording Academy.”

3. Deep Dive: Changes at the Recording Academy

Guest: Panos Panay (President, Recording Academy)

• Diversity & Representation:

  • Over half of voters are now women.
  • The Latin Grammy voting body now participates in the main Grammy awards, helping boost Latino representation.
  • Continued push to expand globally and include more diverse voices.
    • [15:00] (Panos Panay): “This particular year we achieved... over half of our voters be women. We’ve also welcomed all the Latin Academy voting members.”

• A New Global Focus:

  • Second time an all-Spanish album (Bad Bunny) is nominated for Album of the Year.
  • K-pop and other international acts are increasingly prominent.
  • A conscious effort—no surprises left, just a reflection of sustained, systematic change.
    • [13:22] (Panos Panay): “...the nominations for us reflect this new diverse body. Seeing K Pop well represented. Of course, Bad Bunny’s album having a lot of historics this particular year.”

• CBS Broadcast Finale:

  • This is the last year on CBS—a sentimental moment, with expectations for a strong send-off.

4. Rewriting Grammy History: "What If" with a New Voting Body

• Sliding Doors Moments:

  • Dan speculates how major awards in the 2010s and 2020s might have changed with today’s voting body.

    • E.g., Kendrick Lamar possibly winning over Bruno Mars or Taylor Swift, Lizzo challenging Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny outpacing Harry Styles, and Beyoncé’s Lemonade rightfully taking Album of the Year over Adele.
    • [30:27] (Dan Runcie): “...if this voting body that just voted on these awards for 2026 had existed in the 2010s and even parts of the 2020s as well, which results would have been most likely to shift?”

  • The Grammy's evolving priorities: correcting for historic biases, rewarding international breakout acts, and elevating critical as well as commercial darlings.

5. The "Grammy Bounce": Economic Impact

Data & Research by Will Page

• Concrete Numbers:

  • Emerging or niche artists can see incomes spike—at least one-third higher in recorded music after a Grammy win (e.g., $900K → $1.8M in a year).
  • Touring income can surge from $1.5M to $8M.
  • Streaming lifts by an average of 35.5% post-win.
    • [32:37] (Dan Runcie): "A Grammy Award win can boost their income on the recorded music side at least one third higher than the existing base... touring income can grow from 1.5 million up to $8 million."

• Case Studies:

  • John Batiste: Grammy win led to Netflix doc, increased mainstream opportunities, consistent growth in monthly listeners.
  • Leon Thomas: poised for a “Grammy bounce” in Best New Artist and Album of the Year categories.

6. Industry Insights: Who Will See the Biggest Bounce?

Guest: Zach O’Malley Greenburg (Author)

• Beneficiaries of the Grammy Bump:

  • Dochi and Clips—potential for career-defining boosts if they win.
  • Bad Bunny—already an international superstar, but the Grammy/Super Bowl "week" will supercharge his global narrative.
    • [34:21] (Zach Greenburg): “Dochi... doesn’t quite have the international superstar thing going on yet. I think she could get a really nice boost with the win... Could there be a little bump for Clips into more mainstream, worldwide recognition that wasn’t there before?”

• Personal Touch:

  • Zach plans to watch this year’s Grammys at home with his daughter—a nod to the show’s revived cross-generational relevance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the changing Grammys:

  “The Recording Academy has made it clear—this is not your uncle’s Grammys.”
  —Dan Runcie [03:39]

• Cultural corrections and overdue acclaim:

  “The voting body has changed in a lot of ways, but it can be hard to know, okay, what is a vote that is a symbol of a broader correction versus an actual decision.”
  —Dan Runcie [07:56]

• On challenges with categorizing genre:

  “With every year, it’s getting harder... to categorize and award music on genre lines... It’s a challenge for the Recording Academy.”
  —Tati Sirisano [10:25]

• The value of the Grammy bounce:

  “For an emerging niche or mid-tier artist, a Grammy Award win can boost their income on the recorded music side at least one third higher than the existing base... The impact on the touring side is even higher.”
  —Dan Runcie [32:37]

Highlighted Timestamps

• 00:48 — Opening: Dan outlines the themes and structure of the episode
• 02:00 – 04:00 — Grammy nominations: hip hop’s increased presence and international focus
• 05:10 – 11:01 — Tati Sirisano on this year’s nominations; comparing cultural moments
• 12:23 – 17:23 — Recording Academy President Panos Panay on diversity, new directions
• 27:31 – 32:36 — Statistical breakdown: How the Grammys voter base has changed
• 32:36 – 34:21 — Will Page’s research: What a “Grammy bounce” can mean
• 33:44 – 36:52 — Zach O’Malley Greenburg on which artists might benefit most

Tone & Style

• Engaged and Analytical: Dan balances data-driven insights with cultural commentary, reflecting the voice of both industry insider and passionate fan.
• Candid and Forward-Looking: Guests speak openly about both progress made and remaining industry challenges.
• Conversational and Inclusive: The episode is accessible for seasoned insiders and newcomers, blending stats, anecdotes, and “what if” speculation.

Takeaways

• The Grammys are changing fast: the new voting body is younger, more diverse, and globally minded.
• Hip hop and international genres (especially Latin music and K-pop) are finally receiving long-overdue recognition.
• Winning a Grammy can still change a career, especially for rising or niche artists—offering not just prestige but transformative financial opportunity.
• If today's voters had been around a decade ago, pop culture history books might read differently—and soon, future Grammy nights will continue to “rewrite history,” one vote at a time.