Why Boygenius's Phoebe Bridgers slammed ex-Grammy head Neil Portnow
Women dominated the 66th Grammy Awards, highlighted by victories of Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, and SZA. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and her Boygenius bandmates Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus secured an impressive three awards. However, after her win, Bridgers didn't shy away from addressing former Recording Academy president Neil Portnow's controversial 2018 comment: "If women want to win Grammys they should step up." Portnow's remarks came after only 17 of the 86 awards went to women in 2018.
'Rot in piss': Bridgers responded
In the Grammys press room, Boygenius was asked about the future of rock and women excelling in the genre. "I have something to say about women," Bridgers responded. "The ex-president of the Recording Academy, Portnow, said that if women want to be nominated and win Grammys they should step up. He's also being accused of sexual violence." "And to him, I'd like to say I know you're not dead yet, but when you are, rot in piss."
Sexual abuse allegations against Portnow: Details
In November last year, a Recording Academy member sued Portnow for allegedly drugging and raping her in a New York hotel in 2018. The lawsuit accused him of sexual assault and claimed the Recording Academy "aided and abetted" to "protect their reputations and silence Plaintiff and other women in the music industry." Portnow's spokesperson denied these allegations, which first surfaced in 2020 as part of a legal claim filed by his successor, Deborah Dugan.
Portnow's departure was marked by controversy
After Portnow's term as chief of the Recording Academy ended in 2019, he stepped down following self-inflicted scandals and Dugan succeeded him. However, Dugan was placed on administrative leave in January 2020 after filing a discrimination complaint against the organization. She alleged that she was fired for refusing to rehire Portnow as a consultant after she was informed about the alleged rape. The case was settled in June 2021.
Meanwhile, Boygenius also talked about their pre-planned hiatus
Separately, during the event, Boygenius addressed their pre-planned hiatus with no plans to return. "That's why we've been like showing up and working so hard," said Dacus, adding, "We knew we didn't have to sustain it...this was our chance." It's worth noting that each member of Boygenius faced difficulties in collaborations with "overly confident male counterparts," which led to the naming of the group as Boygenius.
