It has been revealed that the Recording Academy, which presides over the Grammys, used non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to prevent women from going public about sexual abuse within the organisation. The NDAs were signed in exchange for money, preventing negative stories about the Academy from coming to light. The Grammy Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles on 4 February, with a Trustees Award given to music industry lawyer Joel Katz. The report alleges that Katz once offered $1m to Recording Academy employee Terry McIntyre not to report the alleged sexual assaults she suffered while working there. McIntyre is reported to have turned down the offer.
The Los Angeles Times reported that at least five women had signed NDAs in exchange for money to prevent any allegations of abuse or mistreatment being made public. Responding to the allegations, the Recording Academy said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” towards sexual misconduct. The report follows warnings from the Women and Equalities Committee that women pursuing careers in the music industry face entrenched misogyny and discrimination. The committee called for “urgent action” to be taken to tackle high levels of sexual harassment and abuse and insufficient reporting of such incidents.
Last year, the UK government called for women to provide evidence on NDAs they had been asked to sign silencing sexual assault allegations. Meanwhile, in September 2022, DJ Annie Mac claimed that a “tidal wave” of sexual abuse cases had been suppressed in the music industry, which she described as a “boys’ club” rigged against women
Read the full article on NME here: Read More