Many people use music as a way to express themselves, and many people use different methods of listening to music as a way to express themselves as well. How do those artists who people enjoy listening to so much get rewarded? The Artist of the Year is a coveted award that many artists use as a way to gauge how successful their year was.
So, who do students think will be this year’s Artist of the Year? As the year-end music awards continue to gather momentum, Vanguard conducted a survey among University of North Georgia students, revealing the diversity of musical tastes on campus. In this survey, fifteen students were asked to pick the artist they thought should receive the award for Artist of the Year. Although there is a dominant pick among students, there is a diverse range of musical influences among students on campus.
The survey pointed out Taylor Swift as a top pick, having collected four votes. People who selected Swift cited the fact that this musician was leading in the music scene, with a tight touring schedule while maintaining cultural relevance.
The close second place went to Noah Kahan, with three votes. The introspectiveness and a genre that reflected a folk sound resonated with college students who consider emotional authenticity crucial. “His music feels relatable, especially for college students,” senior film student Nelson Maxwell said.
Two votes were cast in favor of country music singer Zach Bryan, who was commended on his raw songwriting ability. One vote was also cast for Morgan Wallen, another country musician.
Additionally, other pop artists made up another significant chunk of the remaining responses. Sabrina Carpenter, with two votes, was recognized for an impressive first year of recognition and expanding influence with younger listeners. Harry Styles, Gracie Abrams and Jelly Roll each received one vote in recognition of artistic development, depth and appeal in their music.
The survey shows that while success may contribute to the selection, the importance of authenticity and connection appears to be valued to the same extent. Rather than showing agreement with one singular selection, the survey indicates the fractured nature of modern music consumption, which streaming sites enable to be hyper-individualized.
“There isn’t one artist that everyone agrees on… It largely depends on the type of music with which you connect and what mattered to you this year.” – Luke Hiers, UNG Junior Music Student
As the awards draw near and official winners are named, students’ opinions may change further. However, the survey clearly demonstrates a point: Artist of the Year is important in different ways due to the broad musical scene.
