Mystery as judges rule the bestseller ineligible for the award

They have been top of the Billboard comedy album chart for the past 18 weeks – but the songs from Bo Burnham’s acclaimed Netflix special Inside have no chance of getting a Grammy award for comedy.

The Recording Academy that hands out the coveted accolades has deemed the work ineligible for that category in next year’s awards.

Instead, a preliminary ballot going to members has put Inside (The Songs) into the category of ‘best compilation soundtrack for visual media’ - a category previously won by the soundtrack to movies such as A Star Is Born, The Greatest Showman and Jojo Rabbit.

No reason for the decision – reported by Billboard – has been given.

Speculation has focussed on the fact the material was originally recorded for TV instead of being an audio release.

But most of the albums nominated in the comedy category in recent years – including last year’s winner, Tiffany Haddish’s Black Mitzvah –  were soundtracks to TV or streaming specials.

Another theory is that the academy wanted to keep the category to spoken-word standup and disallow music.  But ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’s Mandatory Fun won the category in 2015 and Flight Of The Conchords’  The Distant Future won in 2007.

At the Emmys last month, Inside won awards for outstanding writing for a variety special, outstanding music direction and outstanding directing for a variety special.

Published: 16 Oct 2021