Female Executives Call for Grammy Chief Neil Portnow’s Resignation

Variety ^ | February 1, 2018 | Jem Aswad

[EdnaMode]

In the wake of Recording Academy chief Neil Portnow’s ill-worded comments after the Grammy Awards Sunday night — in which he said female artists and executives need to “step up” — and a low number of nominees and winners who are women, a group of female music-industry senior executives have issued a letter calling for his resignation. The group, which is led by veteran music-business attorney Rosemary Carroll, also includes agents Cara Lewis, Natalia Nastaskin and Marsha Vlasic; John Legend manager Ty Stiklorius; Pharrell Williams manager Caron Veazey; Warner/Chappell publishing VP Katie Vinten; branding executive Marcie Allen and several others. Notable by their absence are label executives, who arguably would have the most to lose by challenging the Academy.

“The statement you made this week about women in music needing to ‘step up’ was spectacularly wrong and insulting and, at its core, oblivious to the vast body of work created by and with women,” the letter says. “Today we are stepping up and stepping in to demand your resignation.”

The letter arrived minutes after Portnow and the Academy announced a task force designed to improve “female advancement”; a representative for the executives told Variety they were discussing the task force announcement, but for the moment their letter stands.

[EdnaMode]

Because these awards are so important!

[ClearCase_guy]

“The statement you made this week about women in music needing to ‘step up’ was spectacularly wrong ... Today we are stepping up"

So he was right?

[katana]

Portnow’s complaint?

[setha]

Refuse to step down.

[Thanks RR Rest Well]

Nice!

[Calvin Locke]

For marketing and bragging rights.

Of course, they've given them to the Clintons as well as Milli Vanilli.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

#3. Besides writing what I was going to, let’s update it a little from “Portnow’s complaint” to “Complaint About Portnow”, coming to a theater near you soon.

[pepsionice]

Over the past thirty years, I’ve yet to watch a single minute of the show. I suspect when you get down to working-class Americans, above the age of thirty...it’s less than 2-percent of the population that watches it or cares. Maybe the 14-to-21 year old group has one-third of the audience, but it’s simply a fake show where they can party-up for one evening and get face-time with the audience.

[Songcraft]

Grammy & Grampy...

       

[smalltownslick]

I, too, hate awards shows. The last time I watched one was the year Cindy Walker was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. That was such a wonderful experience, but nothing since then.

I know they will always gripe about a lot of things, but - one of the main complaints this year was about a category with four female nominees and one male. So now put on your thinking caps: Remember that at any awards show, there isn’t anyone hiding there to deny anyone anything. You always hear about “so and so being snubbed” - no one is ever snubbed. They vote. There are many variables. But think of this - that category with four female nominees and one male, and the male won. Now if the voters were all inclined to vote politics instead of “Best performance” as the category reads - you have four artists splitting that vote. So, naturally, what happens? The other guy wins.