Grammys chief Deborah Dugan has been removed from her position with less than two weeks to go until this year’s ceremony, following an allegation of misconduct.
Dugan – the only woman to ever hold the position of chief of the Recording Academy – was placed on “administrative leave” on Thursday, 10 days before the 2020 Grammys.
In a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times, the board of the Recording Academy said the move came after a “formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female member of the Recording Academy team”.
They said: “In light of concerns raised to the Recording Academy Board of Trustees, including a formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female member of the Recording Academy team, the Board has placed Recording Academy President and CEO Deborah Dugan on administrative leave, effective immediately.
“The Board has also retained two independent third-party investigators to conduct independent investigations of the allegations.”
The statement continued: “The Board determined this action to be necessary in order to restore the confidence of the Recording Academy’s membership, repair Recording Academy employee morale, and allow the Recording Academy to focus on its mission of serving all music creators.”
Hours after Dugan was placed on administrative leave, her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, responded with a statement.
“What has been reported is not nearly the story that needs to be told. When our ability to speak is not restrained by a 28-page contract and legal threats, we will expose what happens when you ‘step up’ at the Recording Academy, a public nonprofit,” her lawyer wrote.
Dugan was appointed the president of the Recording Academy after Neil Portnow left the post.
His exit came after a wave of controversy, which saw him suggest in 2018 that female artists needed to “step up” if they wanted to be nominated for Grammys, following a particularly male-heavy year.
This year’s Grammys are set to take place in Los Angeles on Sunday 26 January, with Alicia Keys on hosting duties for the second year in a row.
Lizzo is the artist with the most nominations in 2020, including in the coveted Best New Artist and Album Of The Year categories.
Just behind her are fellow rising stars Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish, both of whom are on six nominations.