Ahead Of The Grammys, A Cloud Surrounds The Recording Academy

Plus, a remembrance of songwriter David Olney.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Mike Pont/Getty Images for NARAS The Grammy Awards are often depicted as a night of celebration for the music industry, a coronation of legacy performers and up-and-coming acts by the Recording Academy. But this year, the spectacle of the Grammys is under new scrutiny, with internal disputes made public and serious allegations throwing the validity of the awards into question. Last week, Deborah Dugan, the President and CEO of the Recording Academy, which hands out the Grammy Awards, was placed on administrative leave. Dugan took the position five months ago; she was the first woman to do so. According to the Recording Academy, her suspension came after an allegation of bullying from a female assistant.  But Dugan says she was suspended in retaliation for changes she had proposed and allegations she had made – many of them in a memo to the Academy’s director of human resources. After she was removed, she filed a discrimination complain with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in which she made allegations of sexual misconduct and vote-rigging. It’s been a tumultuous few days with a lot to follow. Fortunately, our colleague Anastasia Tsicoulcas has been keeping close tabs on this developing story. This week, she spoke with both Dugan and Recording Academy chairman Harvey Mason Jr., who was named interim CEO after Dugan was removed. Dugan says the situation has underscored for her the challenges facing women CEOs and women in the music industry, saying she “can’t believe three years after the #MeToo movement, we still have this system of character assassination.”  Even as Dugan’s dismissal plays out publicly, Mason told NPR the Academy’s eyes are on the Grammy Awards show. That night “is everything to our organization,” he says, adding that the Academy is “focusing on the show and the musicians and trying to make sure the spotlight doesn’t get taken away from that.”   And certainly, there’s much to admire in the musicianship of the artists nominated. But as the Recording Academy grapples with such serious allegations, there’s a newfound weight to what often feels like a lighthearted celebration, which the Academy calls “Music’s Biggest Night.” NPR Music will be watching, but more than ever, our aim is to offer context. Our reporters and critics will cover the event Sunday night (and will have more next week), and our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour will release a recap episode on Monday morning that focuses on key takeaways. We’ll also be back in your inbox on Monday with the most important storylines from the night. We’ll be watching, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music This week’s New Music Friday sprint through the best releases of the week includes releases from singer-songwriter Andy Shauf, up-and-coming rapper Hook, folk supergroup Bonny Light Horseman, Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker and more. We’ve long been fans of Hayley Williams, known best as the lead singer of the pop-punk band Paramore. This week, she announced her first solo record and released “Simmer,”  a seething thundercloud of a song. This week’s All Songs Considered mix is full of songs from longtime ASC favorites (like Dan Deacon and M. Ward) and some newer names (like Australian-by-way-of-Berlin artist Kyson). Songwriter Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee, wrote her new album Saint Cloud just after she decided to get sober. The Americana-tinged release is full of clear-eyed wisdom — evidenced by “Fire,” its lead single, which Crutchfield calls a love song to herself. Featuring William Still helped nearly 800 enslaved African Americans escape to freedom before the Civil War. He's a central figure in the new film Harriet, and he’s also the focus of Sanctuary Road, a new oratorio by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec based on Still’s own writing. Renowned Americana singer-songwriter David Olney died last week at the age of 71. He was “a lifer in the truest sense of the word,” says writer Jewly Hight, who shared a remembrance of the musician known for thoughtful character studies and literary finesse, which also includes a playlist of some of his best songs. It’s been a good few years for discussions about gender bias in country music. This week, the country musical channel CMT pledged a further step towards gender equality: It will now give equal airtime to male and female artists during its early-morning music video hours.  This year, we’re focusing a bit of attention on 20 albums turning 20 years old in a series we’re calling (because sometimes the obvious choice is the best one) NPR Music’s 20|20. First up: D’Angelo’s soul-funk opus Voodoo. NPR’s Sam Sanders talked to the engineer who recorded Voodoo about how making the album sound "old" became the key to it sounding timeless. Tiny Desk Mhari Shaw/NPR If you've seen Arrival or Shutter Island, then you know Max Richter’s evocative, emotional music. And while it’s rare for us to see so many Tiny Desk audience members so deeply moved, there’s just something intangible about his music that triggers an intense reaction. Warning: This one might make you cry.  Also this week, we shared a Tiny Desk concert that was a long time coming: Throughout 2019, the DMV’s own Wale frequently took to Twitter to express his desire to play a set at the Tiny Desk. It finally happened at the Tiny Desk Fest, on the night when the Washington Nationals won the World Series. Talk about hometown pride. One More Thing Hope springs eternal. Spring — and SXSW — is right around the corner!  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. 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