Grammy winner Phoebe Bridgers criticizes former award president: ‘Rot’

Accused of sexual assault in 2023; former Academy president Neil Portnow said in 2018 that women should “fight” for the award; he left office shortly thereafter

The statement did not please the members of the Academy themselves and Neil resigned as president of the Institution, a position he had held since 2002. He later apologized for his speech.

Accusations of sexual abuse

In 2023, the music producer’s name resurfaced after he was accused by a woman of doping and raping her in a New York hotel that same year, 2018.

According to the indictment, the Academy was partly responsible for “stifling Portnow’s conduct and silencing the victim and other women in the industry who chose to speak out.” Both the Academy and the producer have denied the allegations.

Grammys 2024

Neil was replaced by Deborah Dugan, who remained in the role until 2022. At the time of her resignation, Deborah told CNN: “I was recruited and hired by the Recording Academy to make positive changes. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so.” as CEO. So instead of trying to reform a corrupt institution, I will continue to work to hold accountable those who continue to cloud the Grammy voting process and discriminate against women and people of color. Artists deserve better.” She was replaced by another man, Harvey Jay Mason Jr., who remains in management.

Criticism of the lack of female representation at the Grammys, however, appears to have generated self-criticism at the Academy. Since then, more and more women have taken their place at the awards. In the 2024 edition which took place last Sunday, the 4th, in an unprecedented way, received the largest number of nominations in the three main categories: Album of the Year, Song of the year AND Record of the year.

Phoebe Bridgers won, with the Boygeniuscategories known to be predominantly male: Best rock song and Best Rock Performance, both with song Not strong enough and Best Alternative Music Album Featuring The disc. The singer also won the Grammy thanks to her collaboration with SZA in the category Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Ghost in the car.

However, the award has yet to evolve in terms of racial attention in its categories. The criticism was raised, subtly, by Jay Z during the awards ceremony, when he received the trophy for his lifetime achievement. The rapper and producer recalled that his wife, Beyoncé, never won Album of the Year: “Think about it, the biggest Grammy winner never won Album of the Year. It doesn’t work.”

Also in this edition the winner of the category was Taylor Swiftthis time with the album Midnight. With the new trophy, the singer breaks her own record as the artist who has won the most in the category, with 4 awards, surpassing names like Stevie Wonder.

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.