The Grammy Awards prepare to celebrate Sunday in Los Angeles the music and its talents of the moment, like Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X. But another air will blur the partition the serious accusations brought against the organization by its boss, Deborah Dugan , recently suspended from office.
A few days before the annual high mass of the music industry, the CEO of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, professional association that organizes the Grammys, filed a complaint in Los Angeles with the Commission for the equal professional opportunities. Deborah Dugan accuses not only the Academy, which has just suspended her of functions, of discrimination and harassment, but she also affirms that her predecessor was guilty of rape on an artist and that certain votes for the Grammy nominations Awards are marred by “conflicts of interest”.
An independent open investigation
His predecessor at the head of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, categorically denied these "ridiculous and spurious rape accusations", and the organization also refuted these "serious allegations", stressing that Deborah Dugan had been placed on "leave" administrative ”after having herself been accused of psychological harassment by an employee. An independent investigation has been opened into these facts and the charges of Deborah Dugan.
The awards officer at the Academy stepped up to the plate on Thursday to defend the procedures in effect at the Grammy Awards. "False allegations that members or committees use our process to promote the appointments of artists with whom they are connected are flatly false, misleading and mistaken," said Bill Freimuth in a statement.
Deborah Dugan, the first woman to take charge of the Academy last August, claims to be the victim of retaliatory measures because she wanted to "change things" after 17 years of presidency of Neil Portnow.
Women dominate list of nominations
The latter had officially renounced to extend his contract after being strongly criticized for remarks considered sexist: he had declared that women had to “move up a gear” to justify the fact that few of them had obtained rewards during the 2018 edition. Leaving aside these quarrels, the 2020 vintage should from this point of view be a success.
Women dominate the list of nominations, especially in the four queen categories (album of the year, recording of the year, song of the year and best new artist). In addition to Lizzo, on pole with eight nominations, Billie Eilish (six), Ariana Grande (five), Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé and the singer HER also fared well.
As for Lil Nas X, phenomenon of 2019 with his hit Old Town Road , he also embodies diversity, because he is one of the few rappers to have publicly declared to be homosexual. A black artist, he also rocked the very white and very American world of country music, which was reluctant to accept his song as part of his universe.
Culture
Lizzo, named "Artist of the year" 2019 by the magazine "Time"
Culture
2020 Grammy Awards: Lizzo leads with eight nominations, followed by Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X
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