It isn't. If they wanted to book Drake on the Grammys, they'd spend a full year working on it and do whatever it takes to make it happen. If they wanted Grande on their show, they would have compromised with her. The Recording Academy as an institution signaled it wants serious change this year by developing a Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion , inviting some 900 new voting members from diverse backgrounds (unfortunately, only in time for less than 200 of them to join), and announcing an initiative for women in production . They bumped up the number of nominees in the top categories to broaden whose faces we see. However, their public face comes down to this awards show. Who performs on it matters just as much as who is nominated. Women everywhere are watching how Grande and Lorde got treated and the message is clear: The Grammys see us as disposable.