Embroiled in sexual assault lawsuits, Diddy won’t be attending the 2024 Grammy Awards — regardless of being nominated for the primary time in 20 years.
Sean “Diddy” Combs won’t be attending the 2024 Grammy Awards on February 4, his consultant tells the press. His nomination for Finest Progressive R&B Album — the artist’s first Grammy nom since 2004 — was introduced earlier than the string of sexual assault allegations in opposition to him started, starting with singer Cassie in November.
The Recording Academy introduced on December 11 that it was “taking (the allegations in opposition to Diddy) very severely and we’re within the technique of evaluating it with the time and care that it deserves.” However provided that Diddy’s probabilities of truly profitable the award are pretty low (he’s up in opposition to SZA’s “SOS”), his choice to not attend means the Academy is free to roughly sweep it underneath the rug; the chances of them eradicating a nomination had been subsequent to nothing to start with.
“We don’t management who the voters vote for. If voters really feel like a creator deserves a nomination, they’re going to vote for them,” mentioned Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. when requested about comedians Dave Chappelle and Louis CK’s controversial nominations final yr. “If there’s somebody that’s been nominated that we don’t essentially agree with, we’re not going to take away a nomination.”
“We’re by no means going to be within the enterprise of (evaluating) them on the dimensions of morality,” Mason continued. “Our job is to guage the artwork and the standard of the artwork. The factor that we will management is ensuring that individuals that attend our occasions really feel protected (…) and don’t really feel threatened by anybody.”
All nominees for a Grammy are invited to the present, and uninviting even one artist might spell catastrophe for the Academy, with 91 classes throughout the occasion and 450 nominees to probably be vetted ought to some new course of be utilized.
“The Love Album” dropped in September, and whereas it didn’t dominate streaming companies or earn particular acclaim, the very fact it was acknowledged with a nomination might need been trigger for celebration for Diddy. A collaborative challenge with Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, 21 Savage, Burna Boy, Busta Rhymes, Coco Jones, and plenty of extra, “The Love Album” could have the truth is landed a nomination because of the sheer variety of arms concerned in it who then additionally forged a vote in its favor.