The president of Universal Music Group Nashville has slammed the Grammys for ruling that Kacey Musgraves’ new album star-crossed is not country.
“I’m sad for fans of our music and the ramifications of how we’ll continue to define success in country music,” Cindy Mabe wrote in a letter to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., obtained by Billboard. “This short-sided, biased decision will send ripples throughout our format to continue to insure that the message is sent that country music can only be for the limited few that enjoy the same perspective.”
A Grammys screening committee last week rejected star-crossed as a Country Album of the Year contender but approved one of its tracks, “Camera Roll,” for Country Song of the Year consideration. Musgraves’ album is eligible for Album of the Year.
“The idea that a handful of people including competitors, who would benefit from Kacey not being in the country category, are deciding what is country only exacerbates the problem,” Mabe wrote. “The system is broken and sadly not just for Kacey Musgraves but for our entire genre because of how these decisions are made for music’s biggest stage.
“Building roadblocks for artists who dare to fight the system is so dangerous and against everything I think the Grammy’s stand for. But that’s where we are today.”
Musgraves won both Country Album of the Year and Album of the Year at the Grammys for 2018’s Golden Hour. Her 2014 release Same Trailer Different Park was also named Country Album of the Year.
star-crossed topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in its first week of release last month.
The Recording Academy has not publicly responded to Mabe’s concerns.