FEATURE:
2023: A Year for Change and Promise?
IN THIS PHOTO: Florence + The Machine’s Florence Welch/PHOTO CREDIT: Lillie Eiger
When Will Gender Equality Occur at Award Ceremonies and Festivals?
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THAT sounds like a pretty big question…
IN THIS PHOTO: Jaz Karis/PHOTO CREDIT: narcography
and wonder what might not have an easy answer. I recently wrote about the BRIT Awards and how there was rightful uproar and bafflement considering at gender imbalance. Not only were the majority of nominees male but there was one category, Artist of the Year, where every nominee was male. It is bad enough that there was a single category that lumped Pop and R&B together and did not nominate any R&B acts, but this all-male approach to excellence provoked rage. Thinking about the R&B argument, and artists like Jaz Karis and Kara Marni – two excellent British artists who are superb R&B talents – voiced their disgust and dismay at the genre being patronised and frozen out. I think that both artists are sensational and could have been nominated. In terms of gender, a high-profile award ceremony like that should be setting a better example. I am not going to repeat too much of what I said last week, but there are few excuses in the modern age. I am going to come to a BBC article that explores why there were few female nominees in the running. In terms of quality and visibility, one does not need to strain their eyes and ears too much. I think that the past five or six years have been dominated by women. In terms of British talent, people highlighted how Adele, Florence + The Machine, Little Simz, Becky Hill, and Self Esteem could easily have been included in the Artist category. Having released important and brilliant music last year, why were they not considered?!
In terms of albums as well, there was more than enough choice so that it was not male-heavy. It would be easy to say that this is lazy sexism, but I fear that there is number-crunching and something icily corporate going into the tabulating. Artists that have had more streams, sold more albums or enjoyed bigger tours. Nothing against artists like George Ezra (who was one of the five men in the Artist of the Year. In terms of quality, I think that there are many female artists stronger. I think the fact sales and streams of Ezra’s music was so strong last year meant that this was the defining criteria. Maybe certain labels putting up their artists. In any case, one cannot say there is an absence of female talent. It seems so business-related and flawed. Whereas award ceremonies like the Mercury Prize seem more balanced, they are in the minority. There is still a huge issue across the board when it comes to recognising women. I want to bring in the BBC article by Ian Youngs. In it, the questions was asked as to why no women were nominated as the best artist. Excluding artists such as Rina Sawayama, Charli XCX, Florence + The Machine, and Mabel, it seems like the qualification guidelines are flawed and need an overhaul (“To be eligible, an artist must have achieved at least one top 40 album or two top 20 singles that were released between 10 December 2021 and 9 December 2022”). Maybe a lack of fresh music from big artists accounts for this absence, but I have mentioned several women who have released albums and/or singles.
Why are the BRITs dragging their feet and stuck in a dangerous rut? Is it as simple as sexism? I think that it is a little less simplistic than that, though it is cleat changes need to be made this year. The article did give some insights and explanations:
“Part of the reason for this year's showing is that fewer major female stars like Adele and Dua Lipa put out new music in the last 12 months.
In 2022, there was just one British female solo artist with a new album among the top 100 best-sellers - Florence and the Machine, at number 89. In comparison, there were seven men in the top 100.
And women are represented in other Brits categories - female duo Wet Leg have four nominations, the joint highest with Styles; while Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lizzo outnumber the men on the best international artist shortlist.
The Brits spokesperson said: "While it's disappointing there are no nominations in the artist of the year category, we also have to recognise that 2022 saw fewer high profile women artists in cycle with major releases, as was the case in 2021.
"These trends based around the release schedule are a feature of the music industry, but if, over time, a pattern emerges, then this puts the onus on the industry to deal with this important issue."
They added that music industry body the BPI is "already carrying out a major study to identify barriers that may inhibit more women becoming successful in music, so that there can be solutions that result in meaningful change".
IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa/PHOTO CREDIT: Venetia Scott for Vanity Fair
It is an interesting read, and it follows loads of tweets over the past couple of days that have called for change. I am going to come to look at festivals and ask whether, at award ceremonies, there will be change and fresh commitment following the debacle and shame from the BRITs’ nominees. Mark Savage offered more explanation as to why no women were nominated for Best Artist:
“What the best artist shortlist reveals is a wider systemic issue. Only 20% of the artists signed to a major UK record label are female, so they're already at a disadvantage.
And, with a few notable exceptions, it still feels like labels don't know how to develop female acts once they reach a certain level. How did Mabel go from best female in 2020 to zero nominations in 2022? Her album was good, but badly promoted. No wonder she quit to work with Dua Lipa's former managers a month after it was released.
The sad fact is that voters have a very small pool of female artists to choose from, and in a year when big stars like Adele and Dua Lipa were busy on tour, they went for male acts instead. (The Brits don't regularly reveal the make-up of the voting academy but in 2017, they said 48% of the 1,200 members were women)”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Brix Smith
For years, Vick Bain has been campaigned for gender equality, diversity and inclusion. Her f-list is a comprehensive directory of U.K./U.K.-based female artists. It is in invaluable resource for festivals when it comes to booking artists. Every year it gets fuller and broader, so you do wonder why we are still having to ask why women are being overlooked. Bain, in the BBC article, raised an interesting point when it came to the Best Artist award at the BRITs. Far fewer women are signed to big labels compared to male artists:
“Music executive and researcher Vick Bain isn't sitting back. In 2019, she found that despite big-hitters like Adele and Dua, less than 20% of acts signed by labels overall are female.
In total, 34% of the artists nominated for this year's Brits are women, she has calculated - which is in line with the average over the last decade.
"So the good news story is that women are consistently overperforming," she says.
"Artist of the year is seen as the most prestigious [award] so it's a shame that there are no women in there, of course. And of course, I'd love to see 50% of nominees being women.
"But the reality of the music industry is, women are only one in five signed artists. That's the disgraceful thing."
There are numerous barriers that make it more difficult for female acts, she explains.
"It's the stereotypes from A&Rs and record labels. It's more problematic for women to go on tour in those early years in their career. Women at some point tend to have responsibility for looking after family, and that totally scuppers touring and the ability to focus on music”.
It does seem that the problem goes down to label level and the roots. Whether female artists want to remain independent or not, it does seem that, to be seen and recognised, you need to be signed to a bigger label. Questions need to be asked as to why labels are male-heavy and why women are not being signed. Artists like RAYE have spoken out against their struggles and horrible relationships with labels. Others feel like they need to be independent to make the music they want and market themselves in a way that is not overly-sexualised. In many cases, labels are not entering the discussion when it comes to gender inequality.
The excuses that have been put forward to explain gender inequality at festivals is always wafer-thin and laughable. Female artists being unavailable or not headline-ready. Others that do not have a big fanbase and would not be profitable. Some festivals are rigid when it comes to booking only bands or a certain genre. Apart from smaller festival, Glastonbury is one of the only major festivals in the country that has committed to a gender-equal line-up. It has been a struggle to get there, but they have shown it is possible. They have not compromised in terms of quality and, actually, they are helping to change the narrative. Why can other festivals not follow suit?! I feel the BRITs will need to make big changes for next year. They got rid of gendered categories but, in the process, they have alienated women! I don’t think the situation is great for most award bodies, but the BRITs is one of the biggest and most prestigious. Labels are not marketing their female artists properly, or they find it much harder to do so (for some/no logical reason). I think female artists are broader and more diverse, whereas I tend to find music from male artists more generic and predictable. That may sound like a massive generalisation, but there is some truth in it. Because of this, there are tonnes of talented women worthy or festivals slots and award nominations, but labels are mishandling them, meaning there is a smaller selection to choose from.
Also, if it were not bad enough to compete with metrics and labels’ expectations, women are also subjected to higher standards when it comes to how they look. Still, so many are being marketed in terms of their sexuality, rather than their music and what they have to say. So many women in the industry have been the victim of assault or harassment and that can have a devastating impact. Many are leaving the industry and, for new artists coming through, it is a landmine! Having to navigate so many hurdles. Whilst many (including label bosses) say decision around award nominees and festival acts is based on merit and popularity rather than anything political or sexist, very few are buying that. This is a ridiculous and insulting! I know it is a complicated situation, and it does rely a lot on label signings, visibility, marketing and so many other factors. At the end of the day, these are not problems caused by female artists – they are the unfortunate victims of this. It is clear that, after so many years of fighting and the same sexism and issues arising, affirmative and decisive action needs to be taken. The BRITs fiasco is, sadly, just the start of inequalities we will see this year. I think the summer’s festival line-ups will be a familiar and depression male-heavy affair. So many incredible women are either being side-lined or leaving the industry because it is impossible to get recognised. They have, as I have said, been responsible for the best music of the past few years. They are worthy of so much more than they have been given. This year, the music industry needs to commit to proclamations and promises. They really do need to…
PUT women first.