Marilyn Manson
WireImageMarilyn Manson — who, as a co-writer and performer on Kanye West’s Donda, was controversially nominated for a pair of high-profile Grammys despite an ongoing sexual assault investigation — lost one of his nominations Thursday as the Recording Academy revised its list of nominees.
Credited as “Brian Hugh Warner” on West’s “Jail Pt. 2,” Manson previously received songwriting credits — and thus, Grammy nominations — in both the Album of the Year and Best Rap Song categories; however, the New York Times reports that the Recording Academy has since updated the Best Rap Song nomination to recognize the West/Jay-Z collaboration “Jail,” which did not feature Manson as a songwriter, removing his nomination from that category.
However, Manson is still credited as a songwriter and featured artist on Donda, up for Album of the Year, making the shock rocker eligible for that award should West’s latest album win that category.
In the past year, more than a dozen women have come forward accusing Manon of psychological or sexual abuse, some of which have resulted in lawsuits. Manson denies the allegations.
Following the outcry from both Manson and Louis C.K. (up for Best Comedy Album) being nominated for Grammys despite the allegations of sexual misconduct against them, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the controversy.
“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,” Mason Jr. said. “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.”
Not for the first time, Moby is speaking out against Donald Trump’s administration with clear frustration.
“The U.S. is collapsing under a deeply corrupt and shockingly ineffective administration,” the longtime electronic musician shared on social media. “These are unbelievably dark times.”
Moby went deeper into his thoughts through a video message, where he explained that people outside the United States keep asking Americans what is actually happening in the country.
“So many of my friends outside the United States keep asking me, ‘what the hell is happening over there?’ And honestly, we don’t even know,” he said. “The country is being controlled by one of the most corrupt, dangerous and incompetent administrations imaginable. Nobody fully understands what’s happening right now. These are very dark times in America.”
Moby joins a growing list of artists publicly criticizing Trump and MAGA politics, including Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Eminem and Billie Eilish.
Earlier this year, Moby uploaded another statement to social media where he addressed how people should respond following the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis. “The real question isn’t whether people should feel horrified or outraged by what’s happening in the United States,” Moby explained in the Jan. 26 clip. “The question is what are we actually going to do about it?”
The musician and activist also encouraged people to protest, saying demonstrations are a constitutional right and something he believes Trump’s administration is attempting to weaken.
In the end, he urged people to vote regularly, “not only during the upcoming midterms, even though those matter, but also in every special election throughout the year.” He also encouraged supporters to “stop giving money to the scumbag corporations backing Trump and ICE. We all know who they are. Boycott them.”
His newest remarks arrive as the U.S. Justice Department unveils a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies who claim they were unfairly investigated. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down following military action launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran in late February without approval from Congress, leading to rising gas prices across the globe.
Throughout his independent music career, Moby has earned 10 entries on the Billboard 200 along with two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and an enormous catalog of sync placements. Overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, he is viewed as one of the defining artists of his era. He scored two No. 1 albums there with Play from 1999 and 18 from 2002, alongside 18 top 40 singles and two nominations for Best International Male at the BRIT Awards.
Check out Moby’s newest social media post below.
