Neil Portnow

Neil Portnow

Grammy Boss Neil Portnow Apologises For His Insensitive and Arrogant Comments At The Grammy Awards

by Paul Cashmere on February 2, 2018

in News

Neil Portnow, President of the Recording Academy and head of the Grammy Awards, has aplogised for his poor choice of words in his speech at the Grammy Awards this week.

Portnow said that women need to “step up” in the music business and then later doubled down on his words saying that they were bing taken out of context.

Now the Grammy boss has issued this apology:

To The Music Community—

After hearing from many friends and colleagues, I understand the hurt that my poor choice of words following last Sunday’s GRAMMY telecast has caused. I also now realize that it’s about more than just my words. Because those words, while not reflective of my beliefs, echo the real experience of too many women. I’d like to help make that right.

The Recording Academy is establishing an independent task force to review every aspect of what we do as an organization and identify where we can do more to overcome the explicit barriers and unconscious biases that impede female advancement in the music community. We will also place ourselves under a microscope and tackle whatever truths are revealed.

I appreciate that the issue of gender bias needs to be addressed in our industry, and share in the urgency to attack it head on. We as an organization, and I as its leader, pledge our commitment to doing that. We will share more information about the steps we are taking in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,
Neil Portnow
President/CEO of the Recording Academy

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