OPINION: Despite their four surprise nominations, Indie folk-rock band Bon Iver won't be performing at the 2012 Grammy Awards.
That's because the Grammy Awards won't let Bon Iver play their own song at the ceremony.
Frontman Justin Vernon tells Billboard, "We wanted to play our music, but were told that we couldn't play. We had to do a collaboration with someone else... And we just felt like it was such a large stage -- we're getting nominated for this record that we made... and all of a sudden we were being asked to play music that had nothing to do with that."
He concludes, "They sort of acted like they wanted us to play, but I don't think they wanted us to play."
Sounds about right. The Grammys are well-known for having unusual collaborations, from Eminem with Elton John to Moby with the Blue Man Group. But sometimes their obsession with collaborations goes too far. This is a perfect example.
It's fine that the Grammys want to create buzzworthy duets. But if Bon Iver didn't feel like taking up the offer, the Grammys should have changed course and let the group perform their own song.
Bon Iver are nominated for Record and Song of the Year, for crying out loud! They're up for Best New Artist! If getting nominated for three out of the big four awards doesn't earn you the right to play your own song at the Grammys, something is seriously wrong.
The Grammys screwed this one up.
Will Bon Iver win Best Alternative Album? Click the link to read my prediction, and check out more of my Grammy Awards articles.
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