The Grammy Awards is second to the Oscars in terms of ratings, but after Monday's broadcast, the Grammys have been putting on a much better awards show.
The Grammys is far from perfect, with this year's show topping 210 minutes and perhaps displaying far more highs, lows, lulls and more "WTF" performances than usual. But the Oscars by comparison needs to get out of the rut of being the traditional, old, prestigious awards gala where everyone in Hollywood pats themselves on the back. Possibly even fewer artists and critics actually take the Grammys seriously than the Oscars, but unlike the Oscars, no one views the Grammys as a stuffy institution that has outlived its usefulness. It is a fun evening of mega star power and invigorating live acts that rival the MTV Music Awards, the CMAs or any other oversized awards spectacle dedicated to showcasing as much music as possible.
The main difference between the Oscars and the Grammys is that the Oscars broadcast is actually about the awards. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gives out 24 prizes every year, and in their live broadcast, they showcase all of them. The Recording Academy have hundreds more and air criminally few in comparison; the select couple they do broadcast feel like placeholders between performances by Adele and The Weeknd. The Oscars shouldn't become the Grammys outright, because if the Oscars were to lose its integrity as an awards show first, then what relevance do the Oscars even have left? But the Oscars could stand to borrow some of the Grammys magic, and here are just a few ideas as to how.
Read More: Grammys 2016: Definitive Ranking of Every Performance
Embrace Race
Obviously the Oscars' first major problem extends far beyond producing an entertaining show. Outcry about the whiteness of this and last year's Oscar nominees is a serious issue and continues to be addressed on an industry level. But there's no illusion that the Grammys have the same problem with race (unless you wonder how Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran managed to beat out Kendrick Lamar).
At the same time though, the Grammys is in touch with black, Latino and country culture. In addition to the awards it distributes, the Grammys this year served as a massive stage for Lamar's politically volatile medley of "Alright" and "The Blacker the Berry." He trotted out a new verse inspired by Trayvon Martin, rapping, "On February 26th, I lost my life too," after first marching out onto stage in a cell block chain gang.
Last year, John Legend and Common performed their Oscar-winning song from "Selma" called "Glory," but it will take more than one token performance to convince the world the show isn't whitewashed.
Have the Nominees Do Something
A plus of the Grammys is that the show is packed with performances and glimpses of work from the nominees themselves. Taylor Swift performed a track from "1989." Alabama Shakes performed "Don't Wanna Fight" before taking home three Grammys. And Best New Artist winner Meghan Trainor was part of a supergroup that honored the legacy of Lionel Richie (although Adele's "Hello" might've been more appropriate).
Film is not a live medium, and the Oscars don't have that same luxury. But film clips alone aren't cutting it, and the biggest stars of the night can't afford to just sit there in the audience.
Give them something to do. Make the technical categories more integral to the viewing experience by having the nominees showcase the nominated costume designs, maybe by doing readings from the Oscar nominated screenplays, and of course by performing the Original Song nominees. Past years have combined the songs into lackluster medleys or have omitted them altogether. Ellen's star-studded selfie was not only one of the most retweeted images in history, but was easily a highlight of the evening's ceremony.
Give us something we've never seen
Beyond putting the nominees on stage, the Grammys mix it up and stage moments you wouldn't get to see in another setting. The Weeknd played a rare stripped down, acoustic rendition of his hits. Andra Day and Ellie Goulding did what is likely a one-time duet. The Oscars would be hard pressed to give us something as sensational as Lady Gaga's David Bowie tribute. This, by the way, was one of many creative ways the Grammys honored all the music legends lost this past year, from Bowie, Glenn Frey, B.B. King and Lemmy Kilmister, something the Oscars could consider when honoring Robin Williams or Bowie again.
Many of these mash-ups range from inspired to awkward and disastrous (Pitbull, really?), but they're the things people talk about and remember the next morning. The Oscars is particularly light on these standout showcases, with the most memorable moments typically coming from the spontaneous speeches and one-off jokes that dot the long evening.
Fix the host problem
Hosting the Oscars is a thankless job. Do it poorly and you're lambasted. Do it well and you don't get much to show for your effort. There are a lot of well-deserved headlines and discussion when The Academy lands someone like Chris Rock, Neil Patrick Harris or Jon Stewart, but the show then faces lesser-deserved criticism when they don't live up to expectations.
LL Cool J doesn't have nearly the same problem. He's a perennial, and what's more, an insider. He virtually fades into the background throughout the show and can't deliver the same scathing monologue and charisma as someone like Rock will, but there's no controversy with him at the end of the night. Since Bob Hope, the Oscars have had a tradition of getting a comic to make the show something of a Friar's style roast, but Hope and Billy Crystal were insiders in a way Seth MacFarlane certainly is not.
In recent memory, the Oscars have arguably been at their best when they've recruited a true movie star like Hugh Jackman or Anne Hathaway. Ellen DeGeneres did just fine a few years back. Not only did she give the show its highest ratings in a decade, she was a perfectly safe choice. If someone like her is game to keep doing it, keep them around.
Get Dave Grohl
Okay, this one isn't a real idea, but I feel as though Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl sitting in his black T-shirt and jeans at every awards show amid all the tuxes is always good for a few good looks and gifs. The Grammys just wouldn't be the same without him.
Reach Contributor Brian Welk here.
Annenberg Media