Updated, 12:33 Pm: A federal judge in Manhattan has thrown out a sexual assault lawsuit filed last year against Former Recording Academy President Neil Portnow after the accuser cited safety concerns over her name being revealed in court.
The suit filed in early November alleged that Portnow drugged and raped the plaintiff in a New York City hotel room in 2018, when he was still chief of the Academy. Judge Analisa Torres of Federal District Court dismissed the suit without prejudice, which means that it could be refiled later.
“Jaa Doe’s request to dismiss her claims against me follows the decision of the fifth set of attorneys to withdraw from representing her,” Portnow said in a statement after the dismissal. “The latest attorney was the only one to actually file a lawsuit, as all of the prior ones chose not to continue once my counsel highlighted written communications from Jaa...
The suit filed in early November alleged that Portnow drugged and raped the plaintiff in a New York City hotel room in 2018, when he was still chief of the Academy. Judge Analisa Torres of Federal District Court dismissed the suit without prejudice, which means that it could be refiled later.
“Jaa Doe’s request to dismiss her claims against me follows the decision of the fifth set of attorneys to withdraw from representing her,” Portnow said in a statement after the dismissal. “The latest attorney was the only one to actually file a lawsuit, as all of the prior ones chose not to continue once my counsel highlighted written communications from Jaa...
- 5/20/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
A federal judge dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit filed against CEO Neil Portnow in 2023 over a week after the Jane Doe accuser who filed the suit requested the dismissal.
The accuser’s allegations against Portnow first surfaced in January 2020 as part of his successor Deborah Dugan’s discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after she was ousted just over a week before the 62nd Grammy Awards.
While Portnow called the sexual assault accusations “ludicrous and untrue” amid the Dugan lawsuit, the Jane Doe plaintiff — described only as a...
The accuser’s allegations against Portnow first surfaced in January 2020 as part of his successor Deborah Dugan’s discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after she was ousted just over a week before the 62nd Grammy Awards.
While Portnow called the sexual assault accusations “ludicrous and untrue” amid the Dugan lawsuit, the Jane Doe plaintiff — described only as a...
- 5/8/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
A member of the Recording Academy who claimed Neil Portnow, former head of the Grammy Awards, drugged and raped her in a New York hotel in 2018 has asked the court to dismiss her lawsuit.
The move is a result of a looming court order that would force the woman to publicly reveal her identity.
In a letter sent to the court on Saturday, the woman said she was concerned about her privacy and safety. She also pointed to a conflict with her lawyer over communication issues and a “misrepresentation” that could have “significant implications for the case,” though he challenged Portnow’s motion to require her to use her real name just days before she voluntarily moved to dismiss the lawsuit.
On Monday, Jeffrey Anderson moved to withdraw as her lawyer in the case. He cited “irreconcilable differences” over the woman filing a letter to the court requesting dismissal of her case without his knowledge.
The move is a result of a looming court order that would force the woman to publicly reveal her identity.
In a letter sent to the court on Saturday, the woman said she was concerned about her privacy and safety. She also pointed to a conflict with her lawyer over communication issues and a “misrepresentation” that could have “significant implications for the case,” though he challenged Portnow’s motion to require her to use her real name just days before she voluntarily moved to dismiss the lawsuit.
On Monday, Jeffrey Anderson moved to withdraw as her lawyer in the case. He cited “irreconcilable differences” over the woman filing a letter to the court requesting dismissal of her case without his knowledge.
- 5/8/2024
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kanye West has 24 Grammys total, making him the most awarded rapper in the awards’ history (tied with Jay-Z). Seven of West’s albums have won Grammys, and he has additional prizes from standalone singles, features, and production work behind the scenes. His last studio album, “Donda,” got four nominations including Album of the Year, and won twice in rap categories. With such an impressive track record over the span of two decades, one might simply assume he’s likely to be nominated for his new album with Ty Dolla $ign, “Vultures 1,” which has been doing great on the charts. However, “Vultures 1” comes after West’s public backlash due to antisemitic remarks, which doesn’t seem to have ended his career, but still looms over him.
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While the Grammys have many representation problems, they are sensitive to social issues. In 2019 Neil Portnow...
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While the Grammys have many representation problems, they are sensitive to social issues. In 2019 Neil Portnow...
- 3/13/2024
- by Jaime Rodriguez
- Gold Derby
Neil Portnow, former head of the Grammy Awards, has been sued by a member of the Recording Academy who claimed he drugged and raped her in a New York hotel in 2018.
The lawsuit, filed in New York state court Wednesday, accuses Portnow of sexual assault, which the Recording Academy “aided and abetted” to “protect their reputations and silence Plaintiff and other women in the music industry.”
The case nods to Portnow stepping down as chief of the institution after his contract expired in 2019 amid self-inflicted scandals. This included him saying in 2018, in an interview following the 60th Grammy Awards in New York City, that women needed to “step up” if they wanted to be better represented in the music industry and the termination of his successor Deborah Dugan. The lawsuit alleges that Dugan was fired by the Recording Academy for refusing to bring Portnow back as a consultant after she...
The lawsuit, filed in New York state court Wednesday, accuses Portnow of sexual assault, which the Recording Academy “aided and abetted” to “protect their reputations and silence Plaintiff and other women in the music industry.”
The case nods to Portnow stepping down as chief of the institution after his contract expired in 2019 amid self-inflicted scandals. This included him saying in 2018, in an interview following the 60th Grammy Awards in New York City, that women needed to “step up” if they wanted to be better represented in the music industry and the termination of his successor Deborah Dugan. The lawsuit alleges that Dugan was fired by the Recording Academy for refusing to bring Portnow back as a consultant after she...
- 11/8/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Over three years after an allegation first surfaced accusing former Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow of rape, the woman who accused him has now sued the music industry exec over the allegation.
According to the suit, filed in New York on Wednesday and obtained by Rolling Stone, a recording artist listed as a Jane Doe alleged that Portnow drugged and sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in New York in June 2018, and that the Recording Academy “aided and abetted Portnow’s conduct to protect their reputations and silence Plaintiff...
According to the suit, filed in New York on Wednesday and obtained by Rolling Stone, a recording artist listed as a Jane Doe alleged that Portnow drugged and sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in New York in June 2018, and that the Recording Academy “aided and abetted Portnow’s conduct to protect their reputations and silence Plaintiff...
- 11/8/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
The 66th Grammy Awards will mark CEO Harvey Mason Jr.’s fourth at the helm since he took over following chief executive Deborah Dugan’s abrupt firing just weeks before the 2020 ceremonies. It’s been a time of change, as Mason and the organization have focused on diversifying their ranks and better representing women and marginalized groups.
The results so far suggest a work in progress. The academy has touted new, diverse membership classes each year, and is now nearly 80 percent of the way to its goal of adding 2,500 women...
The results so far suggest a work in progress. The academy has touted new, diverse membership classes each year, and is now nearly 80 percent of the way to its goal of adding 2,500 women...
- 10/16/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been nearly 20 years, but Alan Foster can still remember the first time he was passed over for a promotion at the Recording Academy. Foster had been working in the organization’s ticketing department for more than four years when, in 2003, his boss told him to interview for a new role.
But as soon as Foster sat down for the 20-minute interview, something felt off: The decision, he sensed, had already been made by the time he walked into the room. “I felt like it was a sham interview,...
But as soon as Foster sat down for the 20-minute interview, something felt off: The decision, he sensed, had already been made by the time he walked into the room. “I felt like it was a sham interview,...
- 10/19/2022
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
In the wake of the not-entirely-unexpected news that Kanye West has been barred from performing at the Grammy Awards due to his “concerning online behavior,” he has not been barred from attending the show, sources tell Variety.
That means West — who is up for five awards around his “Donda” album, including the top prize of Album of the Year — can walk the red carpet, attend and accept awards at both the Premiere ceremony (the livestreamed event before the main show where non-televised awards are given out) and the main show itself.
It’s also possible that he could hold a competing event that would draw viewers away from the Grammys — a spiteful if not out-of-character move that arguably would harm the many fellow artists performing on the show more than the show itself. In fact, unconfirmed rumors state that he is planning just such an event with Drake, another artist with a rocky Grammy history.
That means West — who is up for five awards around his “Donda” album, including the top prize of Album of the Year — can walk the red carpet, attend and accept awards at both the Premiere ceremony (the livestreamed event before the main show where non-televised awards are given out) and the main show itself.
It’s also possible that he could hold a competing event that would draw viewers away from the Grammys — a spiteful if not out-of-character move that arguably would harm the many fellow artists performing on the show more than the show itself. In fact, unconfirmed rumors state that he is planning just such an event with Drake, another artist with a rocky Grammy history.
- 3/22/2022
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
No matter who wins or is nominated for 2022, the Grammy Awards arguably have undergone more major changes in the past year than they have at any time in their history.
Acting on a mandate for change that ostensibly began years ago but only began to take convincing form in 2019, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. has addressed the multiple criticisms against the organization head-on, speaking diplomatically and working in consensus with its ruling board of directors, but letting action do the talking. He, the board and the management team have revamped the staff, enacted multiple initiatives to increase diversity and currency in the Academy membership, increased get-out-the-vote efforts, and, not least, distributed more than $25 million in Covid-19 relief to music people via the Academy’s charitable wing, MusiCares — and then there are the changes in the Grammys themselves.
Amid many updates coming into the 2022 nominations — including the just-announced expansion of...
Acting on a mandate for change that ostensibly began years ago but only began to take convincing form in 2019, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. has addressed the multiple criticisms against the organization head-on, speaking diplomatically and working in consensus with its ruling board of directors, but letting action do the talking. He, the board and the management team have revamped the staff, enacted multiple initiatives to increase diversity and currency in the Academy membership, increased get-out-the-vote efforts, and, not least, distributed more than $25 million in Covid-19 relief to music people via the Academy’s charitable wing, MusiCares — and then there are the changes in the Grammys themselves.
Amid many updates coming into the 2022 nominations — including the just-announced expansion of...
- 11/23/2021
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, November 23, at 9:00am Pacific/Noon Eastern, honoring the year’s best achievements in music, spoken word, comedy and more. These awards recognize recordings released from September 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021 — a 13-month eligibility period as the recording academy readjusts its calendar. Scroll down to see who made the cut.
SEEEverything to know about Grammys 2022
There were major changes in how these nominees were decided. Chief among those was the elimination of the nomination review committees. For decades those committees would take the top 15 or 20 vote-getters in their categories and decide which would be the final nominees. Those secret, anonymous panels often produced surprising results: this past year The Weeknd was shut out entirely. He decided to boycott the awards, joining in a chorus of music stars who have criticized the voting process. Some of the criticisms even came from inside the house,...
SEEEverything to know about Grammys 2022
There were major changes in how these nominees were decided. Chief among those was the elimination of the nomination review committees. For decades those committees would take the top 15 or 20 vote-getters in their categories and decide which would be the final nominees. Those secret, anonymous panels often produced surprising results: this past year The Weeknd was shut out entirely. He decided to boycott the awards, joining in a chorus of music stars who have criticized the voting process. Some of the criticisms even came from inside the house,...
- 11/23/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The Recording Academy have reached a settlement with its former CEO Deborah Dugan prior to her arbitration hearings against the Grammys organization, ending an 18-month legal battle between the two sides that stemmed from her abrupt dismissal just days before the 2020 Grammys.
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” the two sides said in a joint statement.
Dugan first sued the Recording Academy in January 2020 after being put on administrative leave following “a formal allegation of...
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” the two sides said in a joint statement.
Dugan first sued the Recording Academy in January 2020 after being put on administrative leave following “a formal allegation of...
- 6/25/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Recording Academy and former president/CEO Deborah Dugan have reached a settlement over her acrimonious departure last year just 10 days before the Grammys.
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” read a short statement from both parties after an arbitration hearing.
Dugan was terminated on March 2, 2020 after being placed on administrative leave that January. Both sides traded accusations, with Dugan attacking the old-school cronyism in the organization and the Academy firing back with tales of bullying in the workplace and management issues.
News of the settlement arrives just after the official announcement of new co-presidents of the Recording Academy. Valeisha Butterfield Jones and Panos Panay will take office effective Aug. 16 under president and CEO Harvey Mason Jr....
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” read a short statement from both parties after an arbitration hearing.
Dugan was terminated on March 2, 2020 after being placed on administrative leave that January. Both sides traded accusations, with Dugan attacking the old-school cronyism in the organization and the Academy firing back with tales of bullying in the workplace and management issues.
News of the settlement arrives just after the official announcement of new co-presidents of the Recording Academy. Valeisha Butterfield Jones and Panos Panay will take office effective Aug. 16 under president and CEO Harvey Mason Jr....
- 6/25/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The Recording Academy and the body’s former president and CEO Deborah Dugan have reached an agreement over her departure following an arbitration process.
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” read a short statement from both parties.
The agreement brings to an end a long drawn out and often acrimonious period for the Academy after Dugan’s employment was terminated March 2, 2020. She was dismissed after the Academy had placed her on administrative leave Jan. 16, 2020 — just 10 days before the 62nd annual ...
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” read a short statement from both parties.
The agreement brings to an end a long drawn out and often acrimonious period for the Academy after Dugan’s employment was terminated March 2, 2020. She was dismissed after the Academy had placed her on administrative leave Jan. 16, 2020 — just 10 days before the 62nd annual ...
- 6/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Recording Academy and the body’s former president and CEO Deborah Dugan have reached an agreement over her departure following an arbitration process.
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” read a short statement from both parties.
The agreement brings to an end a long drawn out and often acrimonious period for the Academy after Dugan’s employment was terminated March 2, 2020. She was dismissed after the Academy had placed her on administrative leave Jan. 16, 2020 — just 10 days before the 62nd annual ...
“The Recording Academy and Deborah Dugan have agreed to resolve their differences and to keep the terms of their agreement private,” read a short statement from both parties.
The agreement brings to an end a long drawn out and often acrimonious period for the Academy after Dugan’s employment was terminated March 2, 2020. She was dismissed after the Academy had placed her on administrative leave Jan. 16, 2020 — just 10 days before the 62nd annual ...
- 6/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s safe to say that the music industry was stunned on Friday when the Recording Academy almost completely eliminated the controversial “secret” committees that for decades have decided the final list of Grammy nominees in most categories, including the “Big Four” General field of Album, Song, Record of the Year and Best New Artist.
The committees were comprised of industry executives and experts whose names were not publicly revealed. They came under fierce criticism before the 2021 Grammys when the Weeknd, who had one of the most critically and commercially successful recordings in years with his “After Hours” album and “Blinding Lights” single, did not receive a single nomination; the Weeknd later said he would boycott the Grammys due to the committees.
While the Weeknd controversy almost unquestionably played a role in the decision — which was decided by 44 members of the Academy’s board of trustees — interim Recording Academy president...
The committees were comprised of industry executives and experts whose names were not publicly revealed. They came under fierce criticism before the 2021 Grammys when the Weeknd, who had one of the most critically and commercially successful recordings in years with his “After Hours” album and “Blinding Lights” single, did not receive a single nomination; the Weeknd later said he would boycott the Grammys due to the committees.
While the Weeknd controversy almost unquestionably played a role in the decision — which was decided by 44 members of the Academy’s board of trustees — interim Recording Academy president...
- 5/1/2021
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
The Recording Academy announced major changes to the Grammy Awards voting process Friday, including the elimination of the controversial “secret committees.”
The “secret committees” — groups of anonymous voting members who decide the nominations in key genres like rock, rap and dance music — were first brought to the public’s attention in 2020 when former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan filed a complaint against the organization following her ouster.
“The Grammy voting process is ripe with corruption,” Dugan alleged in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, pointing particularly to instances in which...
The “secret committees” — groups of anonymous voting members who decide the nominations in key genres like rock, rap and dance music — were first brought to the public’s attention in 2020 when former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan filed a complaint against the organization following her ouster.
“The Grammy voting process is ripe with corruption,” Dugan alleged in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, pointing particularly to instances in which...
- 5/1/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Responding to complaints about Grammy nominations made in secret, the Recording Academy voted today to eliminate the committees in charge of that process to create more transparency.
The changes will be in effect starting with the 64th annual Grammy Awards, to be held on Jan. 31, 2022. Those awards cover music released during a 13-month window from Sept. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.
Today’s decision means selection committees will be eliminated for the four top prizes and all genre categories. The committees for 11 craft categories in production, packaging, album notes and historical recordings will remain.
The nominees will now be chosen by the general Academy electorate. In conjunction with today’s decision, the board of trustees will also reduce to 10 from 15 the number of genre award categories the academy members may vote on, beyond the top four prizes, and added two awards: best global music performance and best música urbana album, a Latin category.
The changes will be in effect starting with the 64th annual Grammy Awards, to be held on Jan. 31, 2022. Those awards cover music released during a 13-month window from Sept. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.
Today’s decision means selection committees will be eliminated for the four top prizes and all genre categories. The committees for 11 craft categories in production, packaging, album notes and historical recordings will remain.
The nominees will now be chosen by the general Academy electorate. In conjunction with today’s decision, the board of trustees will also reduce to 10 from 15 the number of genre award categories the academy members may vote on, beyond the top four prizes, and added two awards: best global music performance and best música urbana album, a Latin category.
- 5/1/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
If you’re a Grammy follower, then you might’ve heard of the panels that are involved in the nominations process. Every year people often blame big snubs on Grammy voters as a whole, despite most of these coming from said panels. But what exactly are they?
SEE2022 Grammy predictions: Album of the Year
Grammy panels serve different purposes. There’s the screening panel that reviews the work submitted and places it in the correct genre. A few artists have had their material disqualified by the screening panel, like Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons,” which was thrown out of competition after the screening panel for country decided that was a wrongful submission. Similarly, Post Malone’s “Beerbongs and Bentleys” was ruled not rap enough by the rap screening panel; it was moved to pop categories instead.
Then there are nomination review committees. Their process is simple: the general membership votes in first-round,...
SEE2022 Grammy predictions: Album of the Year
Grammy panels serve different purposes. There’s the screening panel that reviews the work submitted and places it in the correct genre. A few artists have had their material disqualified by the screening panel, like Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons,” which was thrown out of competition after the screening panel for country decided that was a wrongful submission. Similarly, Post Malone’s “Beerbongs and Bentleys” was ruled not rap enough by the rap screening panel; it was moved to pop categories instead.
Then there are nomination review committees. Their process is simple: the general membership votes in first-round,...
- 3/7/2021
- by Jaime Rodriguez
- Gold Derby
With the 2021 Grammy nominations came a slew of critiques against the awards, mostly for their notable omissions. Over the past few years concerns for the integrity of the recording academy have been raised. With all of this in mind, we have to ask, what can be fixed and what should be addressed?
Complaints that the Grammys are corrupt or suffer from conflicts of interest aren’t new. Last year HitsDailyDouble reported that industry insiders were upset by the lack of nominations for certain artists in the country genre, particularly Maren Morris (who seemed like a strong contender to win Best Country Album for “Girl” before noms came out), and pointed to the possibility that the snub might have been due to Morris’s Playboy magazine appearance.
DISCUSSMost shocking snub in Grammys history?
Also last year, former president Deborah Dugan spoke out against the institution, calling it a boys club and...
Complaints that the Grammys are corrupt or suffer from conflicts of interest aren’t new. Last year HitsDailyDouble reported that industry insiders were upset by the lack of nominations for certain artists in the country genre, particularly Maren Morris (who seemed like a strong contender to win Best Country Album for “Girl” before noms came out), and pointed to the possibility that the snub might have been due to Morris’s Playboy magazine appearance.
DISCUSSMost shocking snub in Grammys history?
Also last year, former president Deborah Dugan spoke out against the institution, calling it a boys club and...
- 12/28/2020
- by Jaime Rodriguez
- Gold Derby
Fiona Apple highlighted the hypocrisy she sees in the Grammys — especially when it comes to the way the awards show treats women — in a new interview with The Guardian.
While Apple wasn’t directly asked about the Grammys, she turned to the subject after applauding Taylor Swift’s efforts to re-record her old albums and effectively regain control of her masters. Apple then joked she had been worried about incurring the wrath of the Swifties if her latest album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, were nominated for Album of the Year against Swift’s Folklore.
While Apple wasn’t directly asked about the Grammys, she turned to the subject after applauding Taylor Swift’s efforts to re-record her old albums and effectively regain control of her masters. Apple then joked she had been worried about incurring the wrath of the Swifties if her latest album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, were nominated for Album of the Year against Swift’s Folklore.
- 12/18/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Since the nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards were announced on Tuesday afternoon, the conversation among fans, pop critics, and industry insiders has circled around one notable absence: the Weeknd.
The Canadian pop star’s After Hours, released in March, was one of 2020’s biggest commercial success stories, with 1.8 billion streams to date, according to Alpha Data. Its second single, “Blinding Lights,” became a blockbuster with help from a popular TikTok dance trend, with 882 million streams. Despite those metrics — plus a high level of visibility on other awards shows and events including the upcoming Super Bowl,...
The Canadian pop star’s After Hours, released in March, was one of 2020’s biggest commercial success stories, with 1.8 billion streams to date, according to Alpha Data. Its second single, “Blinding Lights,” became a blockbuster with help from a popular TikTok dance trend, with 882 million streams. Despite those metrics — plus a high level of visibility on other awards shows and events including the upcoming Super Bowl,...
- 11/25/2020
- by Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
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The most sensational moment of the 2020 Grammys took place a week and a half before the ceremony.
With hundreds of artists and music executives en route to Los Angeles for the January 26th awards show and the bustle of events around it, the Grammys’ parent organization, the Recording Academy, suddenly announced that it was placing CEO Deborah Dugan on leave. Dugan — who’d been hired only five months prior as the organization’s first-ever female chief, replacing...
The most sensational moment of the 2020 Grammys took place a week and a half before the ceremony.
With hundreds of artists and music executives en route to Los Angeles for the January 26th awards show and the bustle of events around it, the Grammys’ parent organization, the Recording Academy, suddenly announced that it was placing CEO Deborah Dugan on leave. Dugan — who’d been hired only five months prior as the organization’s first-ever female chief, replacing...
- 11/19/2020
- by Amy X. Wang
- Rollingstone.com
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards, set to take place on January 31st, 2021, will be like no Grammys show ever before. For one thing, the red carpet, all-star performances, and celebrity-filled audience we’ve come to expect from Music’s Biggest Night are all difficult to imagine going on as usual in the era of Covid-19. Next year’s awards will also face unprecedented challenges of another sort: This is the first chance for the Recording Academy to show how it has changed in the months since the dramatic ouster of...
- 9/18/2020
- by Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
Judging from its MetaCritic score (a whopping 92 based on 21 reviews as of this writing), “RTJ4” is the most acclaimed album by Run the Jewels, the hip-hop duo consisting of Killer Mike and El-p. And that’s saying a lot since “RTJ2” scored 89 on the review aggregator and “Run the Jewels 3” scored 88. It also happens to be the biggest debut of their career, landing in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 singles chart — an all-time high for the duo. Does that make it a contender for a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, and maybe even a win?
“RTJ4” is a politically tinged collection at a time of widespread uprisings against police brutality, and Variety’s Andrew Barker describes it as “speaking to a nation in crisis with appropriately revolutionary fervor.” Spin’s Dan Weiss further elaborates on the collection’s political point of view: “Rather than bother with Donald Trump,...
“RTJ4” is a politically tinged collection at a time of widespread uprisings against police brutality, and Variety’s Andrew Barker describes it as “speaking to a nation in crisis with appropriately revolutionary fervor.” Spin’s Dan Weiss further elaborates on the collection’s political point of view: “Rather than bother with Donald Trump,...
- 6/16/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
When Harvey Mason, jr. took the job as chair of the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees last June, it’s safe to say he had no idea what was coming.
A veteran songwriter-producer who has worked with Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton and Jennifer Hudson as well as film and television hits like “Dreamgirls,” “Pitch Perfect,” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and many more, Mason has also been a Recording Academy board member since 2007. He rose through the ranks and was named chair of the Board of Trustees last June at the same time Deborah Dugan was officially announced as president/CEO; the two of them took the helm of an Academy that had been rocked by scandal in the wake of former chief Neil Portnow’s misspoken 2018 comment that female artists and executives needed to “step up” in order to advance in the music industry.
A veteran songwriter-producer who has worked with Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton and Jennifer Hudson as well as film and television hits like “Dreamgirls,” “Pitch Perfect,” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and many more, Mason has also been a Recording Academy board member since 2007. He rose through the ranks and was named chair of the Board of Trustees last June at the same time Deborah Dugan was officially announced as president/CEO; the two of them took the helm of an Academy that had been rocked by scandal in the wake of former chief Neil Portnow’s misspoken 2018 comment that female artists and executives needed to “step up” in order to advance in the music industry.
- 4/30/2020
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
On April 30 the recording academy announced that Valeisha Butterfield Jones will fill a newly created position in the organization: Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, who will report directly to academy chair and interim president and CEO Harvey Mason Jr. as of May 11. She will join the executive team to make sure “diversity and inclusion are core to business values and standards,” according to the press release.
SEE2021 Grammy Predictions: Album of the Year
Butterfield Jones previously worked as the head of inclusion for Google and was also the youth vote director for the Obama for America campaign and then worked in public affairs for the Obama administration’s Department of Commerce. She also founded Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network, which promoted positive portrayals of women in the entertainment industry.
But she may have her work cut out for her at the recording academy, which has been in hot water in...
SEE2021 Grammy Predictions: Album of the Year
Butterfield Jones previously worked as the head of inclusion for Google and was also the youth vote director for the Obama for America campaign and then worked in public affairs for the Obama administration’s Department of Commerce. She also founded Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network, which promoted positive portrayals of women in the entertainment industry.
But she may have her work cut out for her at the recording academy, which has been in hot water in...
- 4/30/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Following its public and controversial parting with CEO Deborah Dugan earlier this year, the Recording Academy announced Thursday morning that Valeisha Butterfield Jones, who was previously global head of inclusion at Google, has been appointed for the Academy’s newly established chief diversity and inclusion officer position.
Butterfield Jones has an extensive background in diversity and policy initiatives. She co-founded the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network in 2007, and before taking the diversity role at Google, she’d served as youth vote director on President Barrack Obama’s campaign and as...
Butterfield Jones has an extensive background in diversity and policy initiatives. She co-founded the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network in 2007, and before taking the diversity role at Google, she’d served as youth vote director on President Barrack Obama’s campaign and as...
- 4/30/2020
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
The 2021 Grammy Awards eligibility period started earlier than ever before, September 1, 2019. So who will be nominated for top prizes, and who will win when trophies are handed out? Scroll down for our list of artists and albums to watch for, updating throughout the season as new albums drop.
The eligibility period for the Grammys used to be October 1 through September 30, but they changed things for the 2020 awards. The Oscars decided to move up their calendar so that their awards ceremony landed on the first week of February, which is usually the Grammys’ turf. So the Grammys decided to move up their telecast into January, and they moved back their eligibility cutoff by one month.
Now the eligibility period is September 1 through August 31, so before the 2020 Grammys even aired we already had potential 2021 contenders all over the charts, like Post Malone‘s “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Camila Cabello‘s “Romance” and Harry Styles‘s “Fine Line,...
The eligibility period for the Grammys used to be October 1 through September 30, but they changed things for the 2020 awards. The Oscars decided to move up their calendar so that their awards ceremony landed on the first week of February, which is usually the Grammys’ turf. So the Grammys decided to move up their telecast into January, and they moved back their eligibility cutoff by one month.
Now the eligibility period is September 1 through August 31, so before the 2020 Grammys even aired we already had potential 2021 contenders all over the charts, like Post Malone‘s “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Camila Cabello‘s “Romance” and Harry Styles‘s “Fine Line,...
- 3/27/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Updated with Recording Academy response: Deborah Dugan, the Recording Academy president and CEO who was formally fired Monday by the organization, has added new charges of retaliation and discrimination to the Eeoc complaint she filed in January.
The original complaint accused Academy officials of sexual harassment, gender bias and “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by board members, and voting irregularities with respect to nominations for Grammy Awards,” all of which she claimed, were “made possible by the ‘boys’ club’ mentality and approach to governance at the Academy.”
Her new allegations claim that since she filed her original complaint on January 21, “the Academy has subjected her to repeated, ongoing and egregious retaliation” after conducting a “bogus investigation” of her charges.
“The first we heard of supplements to her initial Eeoc complaints was when media sent it to us,” the Recording Academy said Tuesday afternoon. “It is deeply disappointing and concerning...
The original complaint accused Academy officials of sexual harassment, gender bias and “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by board members, and voting irregularities with respect to nominations for Grammy Awards,” all of which she claimed, were “made possible by the ‘boys’ club’ mentality and approach to governance at the Academy.”
Her new allegations claim that since she filed her original complaint on January 21, “the Academy has subjected her to repeated, ongoing and egregious retaliation” after conducting a “bogus investigation” of her charges.
“The first we heard of supplements to her initial Eeoc complaints was when media sent it to us,” the Recording Academy said Tuesday afternoon. “It is deeply disappointing and concerning...
- 3/3/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated: In response to her termination Monday, ousted Recording Academy president/CEO Deborah Dugan’s attorneys have fired back at the organization with a supplemental charge of discrimination that includes multiple new allegations, including what it claims is evidence of an attempts by the Academy — and longtime Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich — to influence the nominations process. The document also includes what it claims is new evidence of the Academy’s efforts to retaliate against her, particularly after her bombshell legal complaint of Jan. 21, which the new document supplements.
In the earlier complaint, Dugan, who was placed on leave just days before the Grammy Awards, accuses the organization of multiple instances of misconduct, including improprieties in the Grammy voting procedure; “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by Board members… and a ‘boys’ club’ mentality”; “exorbitant” legal fees paid to outside law firms; and that attorney Joel Katz, an Academy...
In the earlier complaint, Dugan, who was placed on leave just days before the Grammy Awards, accuses the organization of multiple instances of misconduct, including improprieties in the Grammy voting procedure; “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by Board members… and a ‘boys’ club’ mentality”; “exorbitant” legal fees paid to outside law firms; and that attorney Joel Katz, an Academy...
- 3/3/2020
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
The Recording Academy officially fired their CEO and president, Deborah Dugan, on March 3. The organization told its members on Monday, “This decision of the Board, with full support of the Executive Committee, was based on: Two exhaustive, costly independent investigations relating to Ms. Dugan and the allegations made against her and by her.” Dugan was […]
The post Recording Academy Officially Fires President Deborah Dugan appeared first on uInterview.
The post Recording Academy Officially Fires President Deborah Dugan appeared first on uInterview.
- 3/3/2020
- by Paloma Thoen
- Uinterview
The Executive Committee of The Recording Academy — the organization that controls the Grammy Awards — issued a letter to members on Monday informing them of the termination of President/CEO Deborah Dugan’s employment.
Dugan was placed on administrative leave 10 days before the January 26th Grammys for allegations of misconduct. She then lobbied her own accusations against the Academy, with an eventual Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Eeoc) complaint including claims of millions of dollars being unnecessarily funneled to certain law firms, as well as attempts to greenlight a $750k consultancy fee for predecessor Neil Portnow,...
Dugan was placed on administrative leave 10 days before the January 26th Grammys for allegations of misconduct. She then lobbied her own accusations against the Academy, with an eventual Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Eeoc) complaint including claims of millions of dollars being unnecessarily funneled to certain law firms, as well as attempts to greenlight a $750k consultancy fee for predecessor Neil Portnow,...
- 3/2/2020
- by Samantha Hissong
- Rollingstone.com
Grammy organization the Recording Academy said in an email to members Monday that it has fired Deborah Dugan, the group’s president and CEO who has been on administrative leave since January.
Dugan was hired in May as the first female head of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, but was put on leave just ahead of the 62nd annual Grammy Awards amid an “investigation” into alleged misconduct involving a female staffer.
She denied the claims, and later filed a discrimination complaint with the Eeoc, saying she was sexually harassed by Joel Katz, the Academy’s general counsel, who has denied the claims. The complaint also alleged that she witnessed “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by Board members, and voting irregularities with respect to nominations for Grammy Awards, all made possible by the ‘boys’ club’ mentality and approach to governance at the Academy.”
The Academy also denied the claims,...
Dugan was hired in May as the first female head of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, but was put on leave just ahead of the 62nd annual Grammy Awards amid an “investigation” into alleged misconduct involving a female staffer.
She denied the claims, and later filed a discrimination complaint with the Eeoc, saying she was sexually harassed by Joel Katz, the Academy’s general counsel, who has denied the claims. The complaint also alleged that she witnessed “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by Board members, and voting irregularities with respect to nominations for Grammy Awards, all made possible by the ‘boys’ club’ mentality and approach to governance at the Academy.”
The Academy also denied the claims,...
- 3/2/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
An investigation into recently ousted Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan’s sexual harassment allegation against Academy general counsel Joel Katz has begun, according to two documents sent to “elected leaders” of the Recording Academy Thursday evening.
The memo, sent by interim CEO and board chair Harvey Mason Jr. and obtained by Rolling Stone, said that the harassment allegations are being “independently investigated by a law firm with no previous ties to the Academy,” and addresses many of the other allegations Dugan brought forth in her extensive complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January.
The memo, sent by interim CEO and board chair Harvey Mason Jr. and obtained by Rolling Stone, said that the harassment allegations are being “independently investigated by a law firm with no previous ties to the Academy,” and addresses many of the other allegations Dugan brought forth in her extensive complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January.
- 2/14/2020
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
What is the path to a Grammy? It’s supposed to go this way: The Recording Academy, the Grammy Awards’ parent organization, receives an avalanche of submissions, organizes them by category, and sends them to its 12,000 eligible voting members, who select around 20 contenders per category by popular vote. That shortlist then goes to Academy-organized review committees, which whittle it down to a slate of nominees to be sent back for a final popular vote that chooses the winner.
But those review committees often engage in corrupt practices that include booting...
But those review committees often engage in corrupt practices that include booting...
- 2/13/2020
- by Samantha Hissong and Amy X. Wang
- Rollingstone.com
Nicki Minaj returns with her first solo track of 2020 with “Yikes.” She released the “set-up track,” as she called it during an event at Pollstar Live 2020, late night on Thursday, delaying the release a few hours after its planned midnight drop.
“Yikes, I play tag and you it for life/Yikes, you a clown, you do it for likes,” she raps on the chorus, after calling herself the “f*cking queen.” “Yikes, yes, it’s tight, but it doesn’t bite.” She also invokes Rosa Parks, spitting, “All you bitches Rosa Parks/ Uh-oh,...
“Yikes, I play tag and you it for life/Yikes, you a clown, you do it for likes,” she raps on the chorus, after calling herself the “f*cking queen.” “Yikes, yes, it’s tight, but it doesn’t bite.” She also invokes Rosa Parks, spitting, “All you bitches Rosa Parks/ Uh-oh,...
- 2/7/2020
- by Althea Legaspi and Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
After a long day of panels, discussions and demos highlighting touring business trends at the Pollstar Live 2020 conference in Los Angeles, a keynote conversation between mega-mogul/manager Irving Azoff and the notoriously unabashed Nicki Minaj felt radical, refreshing and carefree.
Plenty of previous guests talked in circles, providing fluffy, media-trained responses rooted in carefully curated self-promotion. Not so for Azoff, known for his in-your-face attitude, and Minaj, who he dubbed the “Howard Stern of Beats Radio.” The duo covered a wide array of topics – The Grammys debacle, “retirement” and Trump were all discussed.
Plenty of previous guests talked in circles, providing fluffy, media-trained responses rooted in carefully curated self-promotion. Not so for Azoff, known for his in-your-face attitude, and Minaj, who he dubbed the “Howard Stern of Beats Radio.” The duo covered a wide array of topics – The Grammys debacle, “retirement” and Trump were all discussed.
- 2/7/2020
- by Samantha Hissong
- Rollingstone.com
Nicki Minaj defended former Grammy chief Deborah Dugan during a speech at the Pollstar Live 2020 event on Wednesday at the Beverly Hilton. “Shout out to Deb. We need strong women that are willing to say what they have to say, even when they’re getting backlash for it,” Minaj said. “And every strong woman in here knows what I’m talking about.”
The Recording Academy, who hosts the Grammys, and their former leader Dugan have been in a contentious legal back-and-forth battle since the organization placed Dugan on administrative leave...
The Recording Academy, who hosts the Grammys, and their former leader Dugan have been in a contentious legal back-and-forth battle since the organization placed Dugan on administrative leave...
- 2/6/2020
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
In the latest development in one of the nastiest ongoing fights in the music industry, the Recording Academy has a message for recently ousted CEO Deborah Dugan: Bring it on.
Last week, Dugan sent an open letter to the Academy asking for her arbitration clause to be waived, a request that would allow the process to be open to the public. On Tuesday, the Academy responded, proposing instead to keep arbitration but waive the confidentiality provision that could potentially bring more public transparency to the arbitration itself.
Dugan signed...
Last week, Dugan sent an open letter to the Academy asking for her arbitration clause to be waived, a request that would allow the process to be open to the public. On Tuesday, the Academy responded, proposing instead to keep arbitration but waive the confidentiality provision that could potentially bring more public transparency to the arbitration itself.
Dugan signed...
- 2/5/2020
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
The latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast takes on the 62nd annual Grammys ceremony, with a blow-by-blow examination of Alicia Key’s supernaturally calm hosting skills, Lil Nas X’s genre-blending triumph, Billie Eilish’s reluctant victories,the show’s baffling emphasis on ballads, that wacky “I Sing the Body Electric” performance, Aerosmith’s stumbles, and much more.
Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield join host Brian Hiatt for the discussion, which also touches on the controversies surrounding the institution, from departed CEO Deborah Dugan‘s accusations against...
Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield join host Brian Hiatt for the discussion, which also touches on the controversies surrounding the institution, from departed CEO Deborah Dugan‘s accusations against...
- 2/4/2020
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
The expected anger and outrage at the Recording Academy failed to materialize at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, undoubtedly because the audience was drained by the tragic death that morning of Kobe Bryant.
But television viewers voted with their feet, tuning out the broadcast, which largely lacked sizzle. Now we can look forward to the inevitable quiet settlement of the messy divorce between former CEO Deborah Dugan and the organization she briefly led. And the Oscars performance by Billie Eilish, who dominated the trophy take-homes.
This week in music:
Grammys Final Ratings: Cue Sad Trombone Sound: The Grammy Awards hit a new low in the key advertiser demographic, pulling in 5.4 among adults 18-49 and 18.7 million viewers. While not reaching the all-time audience low of 2006’s 17 million, the 2019 Grammys were down 6% from the TV audience that tuned in for the 61st annual Grammys.
Andy Gill Dies: The guitarist and cofounder of...
But television viewers voted with their feet, tuning out the broadcast, which largely lacked sizzle. Now we can look forward to the inevitable quiet settlement of the messy divorce between former CEO Deborah Dugan and the organization she briefly led. And the Oscars performance by Billie Eilish, who dominated the trophy take-homes.
This week in music:
Grammys Final Ratings: Cue Sad Trombone Sound: The Grammy Awards hit a new low in the key advertiser demographic, pulling in 5.4 among adults 18-49 and 18.7 million viewers. While not reaching the all-time audience low of 2006’s 17 million, the 2019 Grammys were down 6% from the TV audience that tuned in for the 61st annual Grammys.
Andy Gill Dies: The guitarist and cofounder of...
- 2/1/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been two weeks since the ousting of Deborah Dugan sparked a riotous dispute between the former Recording Academy CEO and the organization she once shepherded. Since then, the two sides have engaged in multiple back-and-forth accusations, insults and one scorched earth complaint. With no signs of a slowdown or backing off from either side, the fight between Dugan and Recording Academy could play out in numerous ways.
On Wednesday, Dugan issued an open letter to the Academy requesting, among other provisions, to nullify an arbitration clause she signed...
On Wednesday, Dugan issued an open letter to the Academy requesting, among other provisions, to nullify an arbitration clause she signed...
- 1/30/2020
- by Ethan Millman and Samantha Hissong
- Rollingstone.com
Ousted Grammys president and CEO Deborah Dugan sent an open letter to the Recording Academy’s Executive Committee, asking them to release her from her arbitration clause and ensure the investigation “call[s] for transparency and accountability.”
The letter follows an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint Dugan filed after she was put on administrative leave just over a week before the 62nd Grammy Awards. She claimed the Recording Academy was a “boys’ club” rife with self-dealing, conflicts of interest, voter manipulation and financial impropriety.
She also claimed that the Recording Academy’s outside counsel,...
The letter follows an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint Dugan filed after she was put on administrative leave just over a week before the 62nd Grammy Awards. She claimed the Recording Academy was a “boys’ club” rife with self-dealing, conflicts of interest, voter manipulation and financial impropriety.
She also claimed that the Recording Academy’s outside counsel,...
- 1/29/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Sudden death, scandal, disenfranchised divas, a moved-up airdate… It’s safe to say that Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich faced a few more difficulties than usual in mounting what his final edition of the telecast he’s been at the helm of for 40 years. Some of these he had a year to try to solve. But then his production team only had about six hours before airtime Sunday to figure out how to handle the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant with the weight it merited.
Ehrlich spoke with Variety Monday about dealing with the Bryant tragedy; how the ongoing Recording Academy imbroglio influenced the tone of the show; getting Ariana Grande on the telecast a year after things went publicly sour between them; how Taylor Swift was only ever penciled in to the lineup; why he chose “I Sing the Body Electric” from “Fame” as the all-star climax; and what...
Ehrlich spoke with Variety Monday about dealing with the Bryant tragedy; how the ongoing Recording Academy imbroglio influenced the tone of the show; getting Ariana Grande on the telecast a year after things went publicly sour between them; how Taylor Swift was only ever penciled in to the lineup; why he chose “I Sing the Body Electric” from “Fame” as the all-star climax; and what...
- 1/28/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
The 2020 Grammy Awards fell off enough to hit a new key demo low in the Nielsen ratings.
In the time zone adjusted fast nationals, the Sunday awards telecast on CBS drew a 5.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 18.7 million viewers. That is down a scant 3% in the key demo and 6% in total viewers compared to last year’s telecast, which drew a 5.6 rating and 19.9 million viewers. However, this year’s telecast is now the lowest-rated in Grammys history. The least-watched Grammys was in 2006, with 17 million viewers.
Nevertheless, the Grammys were by far the highest-rated and most-watched telecast on all of television Sunday night.
Billie Eilish proved to be the big winner on Sunday night, with the young music star sweeping the four top categories — song of the year, album of the year, record of the year, and best new artist. She also won the award for best pop solo album while her brother,...
In the time zone adjusted fast nationals, the Sunday awards telecast on CBS drew a 5.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 18.7 million viewers. That is down a scant 3% in the key demo and 6% in total viewers compared to last year’s telecast, which drew a 5.6 rating and 19.9 million viewers. However, this year’s telecast is now the lowest-rated in Grammys history. The least-watched Grammys was in 2006, with 17 million viewers.
Nevertheless, the Grammys were by far the highest-rated and most-watched telecast on all of television Sunday night.
Billie Eilish proved to be the big winner on Sunday night, with the young music star sweeping the four top categories — song of the year, album of the year, record of the year, and best new artist. She also won the award for best pop solo album while her brother,...
- 1/27/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
It could be an entertaining spectacle, if you ignored the crumbling institutions it was built upon and the creeping fear in the air — but enough about life in 21st century America. The Grammys have their own problems, with the show going on in the face of a roiling crisis at its governing body, the Recording Academy, after recently dismissed CEO Deborah Dugan dropped a long list of grave allegations against it, including rampant gender bias and corruption around the awards process. (The Academy denies it all.)
For all of its flaws,...
For all of its flaws,...
- 1/27/2020
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
It was a big night for Billie Eilish at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The Interscope/Dark Room artist took home five awards, including the top four categories of song of the year, album of the year, record of the year and best new artist, in addition to best pop solo album. Her brother Finneas O’Connell was named producer of the year and also took home best engineered album, non-classical.
“We didn’t make this album to win a Grammy,” said O’Connell. Rather, they collaborated on an album about “depression, suicidal thoughts, climate change and being a bad guy, whatever that means. … So we stand up here confused and grateful.”
Accepting for song of the year, Eilish was shocked. “Why? Who?,” Eilish exclaimed.
“I feel like I joke around a lot and I never take anything seriously, but I openly want to say that I’m grateful and honored to be here.
“We didn’t make this album to win a Grammy,” said O’Connell. Rather, they collaborated on an album about “depression, suicidal thoughts, climate change and being a bad guy, whatever that means. … So we stand up here confused and grateful.”
Accepting for song of the year, Eilish was shocked. “Why? Who?,” Eilish exclaimed.
“I feel like I joke around a lot and I never take anything seriously, but I openly want to say that I’m grateful and honored to be here.
- 1/27/2020
- by Michele Amabile Angermiller
- Variety Film + TV
Billie Eilish cleaned up at the 2020 Grammy Awards, winning five of the six awards she was nominated for, including the night’s four biggest prizes.
Eilish’s night began during the prebroadcast ceremony, where her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? picked up Best Pop Vocal Album. She later won Best New Artist, Album of the Year for When We All Fall Asleep, and Record and Song of the Year for “Bad Guy.” On top of all that, her brother/producer, Finneas, picked up two awards himself: Best Engineered Album,...
Eilish’s night began during the prebroadcast ceremony, where her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? picked up Best Pop Vocal Album. She later won Best New Artist, Album of the Year for When We All Fall Asleep, and Record and Song of the Year for “Bad Guy.” On top of all that, her brother/producer, Finneas, picked up two awards himself: Best Engineered Album,...
- 1/27/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The 2020 Grammys had so many showstopping performances and incredible red carpet looks that you may not have noticed the conspicuous absence of one of the biggest night's nominees: Taylor Swift. On Jan. 24, Entertainment Tonight confirmed, after much speculation, that Swift - who was nominated for best pop vocal album, song of the year, and best pop solo performance - would not be in attendance at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. It had even been speculated at one point that Swift might perform at the award show (as rehearsal schedules for the taping at Staples Center had included one mysterious "Tba" artist), but the singer never confirmed nor denied the rumors.
While no explanation was offered for her decision not to attend, fans are speculating that her absence may have been due to former Recording Academy CEO, Deborah Dugan. On Jan. 16, the Recording Academy's board of trustees placed their first-ever female...
While no explanation was offered for her decision not to attend, fans are speculating that her absence may have been due to former Recording Academy CEO, Deborah Dugan. On Jan. 16, the Recording Academy's board of trustees placed their first-ever female...
- 1/27/2020
- by Corinne Sullivan
- Popsugar.com
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