The 2022 Grammys nominations were released this week and there was the usual outcry of frustration and disappointment from fans.
Chief among the concerns was the nomination of artists like Marilyn Manson and Louis C.K., who have both been accused of sexual misconduct.
Thanks to a new rule change, Manson received an Album of the Year nod due to his work on Kanye West’s Donda. C.K., meanwhile, was nominated for Best Comedy Album for Sincerely Louis CK, his 2020 comedy special.
In an interview with The Wrap, Harvey Mason Jr., President and CEO of the Recording Academy, moved to address the controversy of the likes of Manson and C.K. being nominated for awards.
“We won’t restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration,” he insisted. “We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration.”
He did note that the Academy would consider restricting access to such artists from attending the ceremony itself, while still allowing their work to be included.
“What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets,” he continued. “We’ll take a look at anyone who is asking to be a part of that, asking to be in attendance, and we’ll make our decisions at that point. But we’re not going to be in the business of restricting people from submitting their work for our voters to decide on.”
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Other contentious nominees included Dave Chappelle, nominated in the Best Spoken Word category for 8:46 in the aftermath of his recent transphobic comments made in his Netflix special Closer. Rapper DaBaby, who went on a homophobic tirade at Rolling Loud Miami festival earlier this year, also got a nod for his guest spot on Donda.
The 2022 Grammys take place on Sunday, January 31st. It’s unclear if any of the above artists will actually attend the ceremony.
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