Grammy wins inspire artistic divergence, while nominations encourage mainstream conformity

Winning a Grammy encourages artists to explore new musical styles, diverging from their previous work and genre norms. Conversely, artists nominated but not winning tend to move closer to mainstream sounds. This effect is observed across major Grammy categories from 1959 to 2018. The study suggests Grammys grant winners more creative freedom, while nominees may feel pressure to conform, impacting the music industry's diversity.