Grammys President Has Defended The Decision To Nominate Marilyn Manson And Louis C.K.

— Content Warning: This story contains discussion of assault and domestic abuse. — 

Earlier this month, Marilyn Manson was accused of a range of abusive behaviours, including torturing partners by locking them in a soundproof room. Weeks later, Manson was nominated for a Grammy.

The artist picked up the plaudit for his contribution to Kanye West’s Donda. Manson and West have become close this year — their partnership extends beyond just music, as West invited Manson onstage during a Donda livestream, and had him appear at one of the rapper’s Sunday Service, a hymnal of sorts.

The nomination was, to many, a profound shock, proof that the music industry at large does not take the testimony of abused women seriously. Indeed, Manson wasn’t the only artist accused of harassment who picked up a nomination — Louis C.K., who was accused by multiple women of masturbating in front of them, was also given recognition.

Now, the head of the Grammys, Harvey Mason, Jr., has responded to the outcry, saying that he refuses to let past behaviours influence the decision of who gets nominated.

“We won’t restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration,” Mason said in an interview with TheWrap. “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. If it is, they can submit for consideration.

“What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets. 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.”

Marilyn Manson and Louis C.K. have yet to publicly comment on their nominations.