Valeria effect repeated: Ay Yola breaks at Grammys

Now, more than 1,000 academics, who have freed up a lot of time after refusing to participate in the Grammy of the leading performers of K-pop Korean boy bands BTS and Stray Kids, as well as rapper-scandalist Drake, without whom, according to critics, “it is difficult to imagine the modern landscape of American hip-hop” (both stories were told in detail by MK), will have to delve into a thoughtful listening to the debut album Ural Batyr by the group Ay Yola (for possible inclusion in the Best Global Music Album nomination (literally, an ethno-based experiment), as well as the best ethno-hym for inclusion in this ethno-music album, and other).

The official statement of the group with a set of traditional enthusiastic and grateful phrases was also distributed: "It is especially valuable for us that the album Ural Batyr and the song Aihylyu, inspired by the cultural heritage of Bashkortostan, are among the works admitted to the vote of one of the most prestigious music awards in the world - Grammy." Any other explanations, details and comments are not available to the agitated press, which is generally reasonable, as there is some possibility that the story of Ay Yola’s entry into the Grammy will end at this stage.

Like it happened last year with Valerie. She then from Dubai also clapped her eyes with surprise: they say, I’m lying in the sun, and here is a Grammy nomination. And all, of course, with the cries of “hurrah” “in the air the caps were thrown,” as the poet wrote. But then everything calmed down, nobody waited for anything, and everyone quickly forgot about everything

The situation is as follows: there is a kind of working “selection committee”, which receives applications from artists and labels from around the world who feel that they deserve to qualify for the Grammy Award. At this stage, imagination can occur to anyone, which already depends on the degree of adequacy of that very head. So Valeria, of course, twirled, claiming that neither sleep nor spirit. He and Prigozhin knew everything perfectly when they collected a parcel to Los Angeles with their application and songs, counting minutes by hours

Next, this “selection committee” begins to grievously analyze thousands, if not tens of thousands, of applications from all over the world (it is at this stage that BTS, Stray Kids and Drake refused to “even send” their hit vershees, although they were very much waiting for them) and decides what to give Academics to audition, and why it is better to protect their ears and souls. It was this first stage that both Valeria and now Ay Yola passed safely and happily. Which, in principle, also deserves shouts of "hurrah" and caps in the air.

But the most important thing starts next. At first the Academicians (there are more than a thousand of them), having listened to the records already selected for them, but still hundreds, secretly vote for the so-called "long lists" - preliminary "long lists". Each nomination eventually includes hundreds of names and records.

Voting for inclusion in the long lists will last until October 22, and we will only cross our fingers so that the Academics will not only listen, but also vote for Ay Yola. Then, in early November, they will review all the longlists they have voted for and vote again for the Grammys to finally officially announce the nominees for their 69th awards ceremony on February 7, 2027 in Los Angeles on November 16.

Getting into the first round of voting and even in two categories (albeit not the most important, but still) is an absolute event for any musician in the world, so the group Ay Yola can definitely record what happened in their asset. The trio from Ufa became a real event on the musical glade, very intricately combining Bashkir folklore, national instruments and modern electronic arrangements. Such experiments in world music are not a novelty, however, it is not possible to become an event in every case.

Ay Yola did it – the group became not only the opening of the season in Russia, but also a noticeable phenomenon on many global streaming platforms, gaining fame thanks to the song Homay and the same (now proposed for a Grammy nomination) debut album Ural Batyr, inspired by the Bashkir epic. Apparently, this inspiration was conveyed to the selection committee, which, for the first time, apparently, having learned thanks to Ay Yola, that there is such a place and such an epic, decided to listen to the “freshman” to the seasoned Academics who have already heard and heard everything

Moreover, in the absence of the so-expected Korean BTS and Stray Kids, the demand for a global highlight with a national flavor and a global scope has increased to some extent

So "MK" closely monitors the development of the plot and will certainly report updates, if any