Grammys CEO Defends Marilyn Manson Nomination as Kanye Guest Star

Yesterday (Nov. 23), the nominees for the 2022 Grammy Awards were revealed, and, as usual, the list had some curious inclusions. The most controversial is Marilyn Manson's name appearing under the Album of the Year category for his guest work on Kanye West's Donda and its song "Jail, Pt. 2." Despite Manson facing allegations of sexual and psychological abuse from over a dozen women and lawsuits from several, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. defended the Recording Academy's decision.

Mason Jr. said in an interview with The Wrap, "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,"

Manson was not the primary songwriter who was submitted for consideration, but, still, he is eligible for a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year as a technicality under the eligibility rules.

"What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets," Mason Jr. continued, affirming the Grammys can exercise the option to include or exclude particular guests at their discretion.

He added, "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."

Since making a guest appearance on Donda, Manson had been spotted in attendance, praying at West's "Sunday Service" event, alongside Justin Bieber, which prompted some to wonder if the self-described 'Anti-Christ Superstar' who once said he himself would bring an end to Christianity, had become a Christian convert.

Regarding the ongoing lawsuits against Manson, the musician's lawyer, Stephen D. Rothschild, recently suggested "global" settlement talks as a possibility in resolving the legal affairs.

Rolling Stone also conducted an extensive nine-month investigation into the allegations and spoke with more than 50 people with close ties to Manson. The report paints Manson as a manipulative, racist, psychological abuser who allegedly imprisoned women in what was dubbed a 'Bad Girl's Room.'