FACTOR, the non-profit organization that provides funding for Canadian music projects, issued a statement Thursday to “address the persistent inaccuracies” in published reports and social media claiming it gave thousands of dollars to Grimes.
The 32-year-old Vancouver native, whose real name is Claire Boucher, is currently living in California with boyfriend Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and Space X.
On Tuesday, Matt Gurney opined in the National Post that Grimes “just scored a sweet arts grant” and “received slightly over $90,000.” He added: “Grimes seems to have fully qualified for the program under its eligibility criteria, even though she no longer lives in Canada.”
Gurney’s article followed one on Nov. 14 at MTL Blog that stemmed from a Nov. 7th Twitter thread by Toronto writer Niko Stratis, who wrote: “I have a difficult time seeing how she warranted receiving that amount of money.”
In a statement it posted online Thursday, FACTOR countered that Quebec’s Crystal Math Music Inc., which manages Grimes and Metric, was “the sole recipient of the funds.” It got the funding via the Comprehensive Music Company program which aids record labels.
“Grimes is not an owner of Crystal Math and Grimes did not receive these funds,” FACTOR explained in its statement.
The organization said even though Grimes did not receive the funds, it would not matter if she did since applicants for FACTOR cash “need not reside in Canada but must maintain Canadian citizenship.”
It added: “An artist’s household income and relationship status are not among FACTOR’s criteria.”
FACTOR said it welcomes criticism as long as it is “fair and free of speculative distortions or gross misrepresentation.”
According to the statement, the organization “remains openly accountable and available for journalists and editors willing to verify their claims before going to press.”