The Grammys are so out of step with modern music that now it's embarrassing

HIS year's Grammy Awards, set to take place on February 4 at the ominously named Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, will be yet another occasion for the sidelining of some of music's biggest and most exciting talents.

- El Hunt

One exception proves the rule. Edgar Barrera, a Mexican songwriter and producer, has already made history as the first Latin act to be nominated for songwriter of the year.

He's collaborated with Bad Bunny, Karol G and Don Omar - and he's a huge force in the new, dizzyingly popular wave of Spanish-language pop music. It's great to see his work celebrated on one of music's most prestigious stages. Following the nomination, Barrera admitted that he already feels like a winner for breaking into the awards show's biggest categories, adding "on top of that, I'm nominated for Spanish-language songs". Less cheerfully, he's also the only Latin act up for a general category that isn't only geared towards Latin music.

That's the problem. The Grammys still look as if they're designed for an analogue, simple world rather than the joyful, digital chaotic complexity of music today.

Founded in 1959, the Grammys are the US music industry's equivalent to the Oscars. Winning one, particularly in the "big four" categories, can very often be a career-changer. But the awards have been criticised in the past for failing to evolve with the industry.