Celebrities raise awareness for political issues at Grammy Awards

At the recent Grammys, there was not just attention for music and talent, but also for important political statements. 

Words:

• To scoop a prize means to win it in an exciting or surprising way.
• A thorny issue is a difficult problem that causes a lot of disagreement. It’s controversial, or people want to avoid talking about it.
• Condemning something means saying it is very wrong.
• If someone is called savage, it means they are violent or not civilised. Savages is a term people use to describe humans who don’t live in a modern, organised society.
• Something divisive causes intense arguments, and people either strongly agree or disagree with it.
• A slow burner is something that becomes popular slowly, not right away, like a song.
• To mirror means to reflect or copy something closely, like a speech mirroring a song’s message.
• When something is politicised, it becomes connected to political topics.
• A platform is an opportunity to speak to many people, like when artists use their fame as a platform to share their views.
  

Video:

Warming up

1. This video is about the most recent Grammy Awards (also called the Grammys). What do you already know about the Grammys? For example, can you name an example of someone who has won a grammy and for what?

2. At the most recent Grammys, several artists spoke up about political issues happening in the United States. Do you know of any celebrities that have discussed political topics publicly? Who are they, and what topics did they discuss? 

Questions about the video

Watch the video from 0:00-2:31.

3. Which record did Bad Bunny break?

4. In his acceptance speech, Bad Bunny says “we are not savage”. Who do you think he means by “we”? Pay attention to the context given in this whole section of the video.

A: Men

B: Rappers

C: Immigrants

D: Celebrities

5. What do Olivia Dean and Lola Young have in common?

Now watch the video from 2:31 to the end of the video.

6. Music journalist Mary Mandefield gave two reasons for why the Grammys were more “politicised” this year. What were these two reasons?

7. How many British artists won a Grammy this year in total?

8. What record did the song Golden break?

Task

Option 1: Celebrities often speak out about political or social issues. People’s opinions are divided on this: some people think celebrities have the responsibility to use their public platforms to raise awareness, others think celebrities should stick to doing their job. What is your opinion about this? Write 50-100 words explaining your opinion. 

Option 2: Look up the full list of the Grammy nominees in each category. Choose three categories you know well and explain who you think should have won and why.   

Van de makers van All Right!, Of Course! en Taalblokken Engels