The fall-out from the 2018 Grammys seems to be more compelling than the show itself.
Beyond several questionable snubs, one of the main talking points was the lack of female winners at this year’s ceremony. Notably, Alessia Cara was the only female to win an award in a major category.
When quizzed on the matter, Grammy President Neil Portnow made quite the faux pas by saying:
“I think it has to begin with women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls — who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, who want to be producers, who want to be part of the industry on the executive level — to step up.”
He continued on with less stinging remarks, but it was too late – the firestorm had begun.
And Pink, who ironically performed as this year’s show, poured the most fuel on the flames.
Details below…
In a statement posted on Twitter, the 38-year old wrote:
“Women in music don’t need to ‘step up’ — women have been stepping since the beginning of time. Stepping up, and also stepping aside women OWNED music this year. They’ve been KILLING IT. And every year before this. When we celebrate and honor that talent and accomplishments of women, and how much women STEP UP every year, against all odds, we show the next generation of women and girls and boys and men what it means to be equal, and what it looks like to be fair.”
The Pop rebel earned raptuous applause from many, including fellow Pop stars Katy Perry and Iggy Azalea:
In a statement issued this morning, Portnow tried to clean up and clarify his remarks saying:
“Last night, I was asked a question about the lack of female artist representation in certain categories of this year’s GRAMMY Awards. Regrettably, I used two words, “step up,” that, when taken out of context, do not convey my beliefs and the point I was trying to make.
Our industry must recognize that women who dream of careers in music face barriers that men have never faced. We must actively work to eliminate these barriers and encourage women to live their dreams and express their passion and creativity through music. We must welcome, mentor, and empower them. Our community will be richer for it. I regret that I wasn’t as articulate as I should have been in conveying this thought. I remain committed to doing everything I can to make our music community a better, safer, and more representative place for everyone.”
Got to commend Pink and co for speaking up and out.