I unpack the lived intersectionalities of Black women and amplify their voices.

Victoria Monét performs onstage during 2022 Made In …

The Grammy Awards released its women-dominated list of nominees on Friday, and zealous fans who were agog about the names on the list for weeks did not hesitate to share their thoughts on the lineup.

The Grammy lineup includes frontline artists like SZA, Victoria Monét, and Coco Jones, who have held the music scene at the helm for the past year.

The ascent of these singers inspires a new conversation about Black women in the workplace and the underdog positions they often assume.

The Recording Academy has become a polarizing organization over the years for many artists and their fans, some of whom accuse the organization of being biased in its winning selections and overlooking credible talent.

This includes Beyoncé’s infamous Grammy snub for Album of the Year in February, The Weeknd protesting the show’s process after not being nominated, and Drake’s widely publicized boycott of the show.

This year, though, the names on the list have piqued some curiosity, and inspired conversation, especially as it relates to artist recognition. Interestingly, some names on the list include some artists who may have previously been regarded as underdogs in the music industry.

In corporate America, there has often been a prevalent dismissal of the efforts that Black women put into climbing the corporate ladder. These obstacles have been riddled with microaggression, tone policing, and the never-ending threats of bias, specifically targeted toward Black women and their contributions in the workplace.

Regardless, many Black women have learned to overcome systemic challenges to scratch the surface and get their due recognition.

The Grammy nominations, particularly SZA, Victoria Monét, and Coco Jones unveil a peculiar narrative that extends beyond the music industry regarding Black women, and the designated underdog role they often have to carry within society.

Victoria Monét

Victoria Monét attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles,…

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Although Monét was initially recognized for her songwriting credits for artists like Ariana Grande and Chloe x Halle, she stepped out on her own and began to make music that caught the attention of several fans, and soon became a viral interest on social media.

Her song “On My Mama,” from her critically acclaimed debut album Jaguar II, became a viral online sensation earlier this year with fans raving about the sharp choreography and artistic direction. Still, her rollout as a solo artist did not come without its hiccups.

During the VMAs, fans noticed that the Atlanta native was not included in the list of performers despite her significant contributions to the music industry, to which the singer shared that she was told that it was “too early in [her] story” to secure a performance slot at the VMAs.

This same type of dismissal is something that is all too familiar for Black women, especially in the workplace, who have to scale through several multiple obstacles to get recognized. With seven Grammy nominations, the “Moment” singer is continuing to show that it was never too early.

Like most Black women, before the massive success, the singer has always been aware of the high stakes against her.

In a conversation with. Billboard, she said: “At first, I didn’t even realize how low on the totem pole I am,” she said. “First of all, I’m a woman. Second of all, I’m of color. Third of all, I’m queer.”

SZA

SZA performs onstage at Spotify’s Night of Music party during VidCon 2022 at Anaheim Convention >…

Similar to Monét, SZA had a good year with the rollout of her commercially successful album SOS, which was studded with hit songs like “Kill Bill” and “Smoking on My Ex Pack.”

The singer, who was born Solána Imani Rowe, is no stranger to getting “snubbed.” In 2018, fans of the singer didn’t hold back their outrage after she lost a Grammy for the Best New Artist category to Alessia Cara.

Earlier this year, a similar thing happened at the VMAs when her longtime manager, Terrence “Punch” Henderson pulled her performance from the Video Music Awards because of a lack of recognition.

“Obviously, she had one of the best years, if not the best year, of any artist at this point. I don’t see why she wouldn’t be nominated for Artist of the Year. It just really didn’t make any sense to me.

It’s disrespectful,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. This year, the 33-year-old achieved unprecedented success with, SOS, which topped the Billboard 200 for an impressive 10 weeks, and maintained the number-one spot on the Top R&B Albums chart for over 40 weeks.

Now, SZA is leading the Grammy pack with nine nominations, something that might have seemed like an oddity for her a few years prior.

Coco Jones

Coco Jones performs onstage during the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los …

For Coco Jones, the transition from Disney star to “ICU” hitmaker was not entirely seamless.

The actress-turned-singer, who was a star in the show Let It Shine, experienced a temporary career setback after her career stalled.

Three years ago, Coco shared a 30-minute video on YouTube that gave fans an inside peek into what transpired with her career behind the scenes and the trauma that came along with the industry’s initial rejection.

Coco, who also experienced the aftermath of colorism coupled with racism, had to navigate the entertainment industry as a dark-skinned woman.

From leaving Disney Channel to booking a role on Bel Air, and performing on the BET Awards with her hit song, Coco, too, has now gotten her big break with five Grammy nominations.

In a conversation with Billboard earlier in May, the Disney Channel alum spoke about the importance of breaking down barriers for other Black women.

“There are times where I feel like I could half-ass it and it would still be good, but no,” she said.

“I know that for where I want these next generation of Black girls to be able to walk into, I have to break those doors down and you don’t get there by just being good. You have to be jaw-dropping.”

The overarching theme, especially for Black women in the workplace, regardless of their industry is the unwavering grit to keep going, a muscle that many Black women in white-dominated spaces have had to hone over time. This grit, coupled with the right allies is what is giving many Black women the recognition they deserve, finally.