Grammys CEO Responds To Backlash Over Marilyn Manson's Nominations

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Marilyn Manson is nominated in Best Rap Song and Album Of The Year categories for his contributions to Kanye West's "DONDA."

The Grammys officially unveiled the nominations for the 2022 award show but, as it is every year, criticism arose surrounding the rap categories. This time, though, it isn't necessarily about the songs and projects that have been nominated, though the Barbz aren't pleased about the exclusion of "Seeing Green." 

Marilyn Manson, who faces numerous lawsuits over sexual assault allegations, and Louis C.K., who admitted to sexual misconduct, were nominated for this year's Grammy Awards. Manson received two nods for his contributions to Kanye West's Donda in the categories of Best Album and Best Rap Song for "Jail" ft. Jay-Z. C.K. is nominated for Best Comedy Album.

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The CEO of The Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., responded to the backlash in an interview with The Wrap where he stated that personal history isn't considered when voting for the nominations.

"We won't restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration," Mason Jr. said. "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."

Nominations aside, Mason Jr. said that the Recording Academy will be cautious surrounding those they decide to invite to the actual ceremony.

"What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets," he said. "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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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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