The nation artist is about to take the stage in Las Vegas for his first efficiency at a serious awards present since he was caught on digicam utilizing a racial slur.
Morgan Wallen is about to carry out on the 2022 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas subsequent month, marking his first efficiency at a serious awards present since he was caught on digicam utilizing a racial slur.
Wallen’s addition to the lineup comes a 12 months after he was banned from the Billboard Music Awards amid backlash to a February 2021 video through which he may very well be heard yelling the N-word and different expletives.
Final 12 months, when Wallen was included among the many BBMA finalists, producers emphasised that finalists are primarily based on chart knowledge and never chosen by a membership group or voting committee.
“As his latest conduct doesn't align with our core values, we won't be together with him on the present in any capability (performing, presenting, accepting),” BBMA producers mentioned in 2021. “It's heartening and inspiring to listen to that Morgan is taking steps in his anti-racist journey and beginning to do some significant work. We plan to judge his progress and can contemplate his participation in future exhibits.”
He went on to win three off-camera awards. This 12 months, he’s up for 4 awards.
BBMA producer MRC Dwell & Various mentioned that the choice to e book Wallen to carry out on the 2022 present got here after in depth inner discussions. “We oppose discrimination, harassment, or racism of any type,” MRC mentioned in an announcement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “We imagine in treating everybody with dignity and respect. After a radical evaluation and strong discussions internally and with the artist’s crew, through which we discovered a demonstrated and ongoing dedication to significant work and outreach, we prolonged an invite to take part on this 12 months’s present.”
Billboard reported, after viewing an inner memo, that the choice to ask Wallen to carry out got here after discussions between MRC and Wallen’s crew, with a various group of MRC staffers highlighting Wallen’s dedication to self-improvement and higher understanding of the difficulty and extra work.
After video surfaced of Wallen utilizing the slur, he was suspended from his file label and dropped by company WME, with iHeartMedia, SiriusXM and Pandora dropping his music from their platforms. The Academy of Nation Music Awards additionally mentioned it might “halt” Wallen’s “potential involvement and eligibility” for the 2021 awards cycle. Nonetheless, Wallen received album of the 12 months on the 2022 ACM Awards in March.
Wallen apologized for utilizing the slur, saying he was on “hour 72 of a bender.”
“My phrases matter. My phrases can really harm an individual and at my core, that’s not what I’m okay with,” he mentioned a number of days after the incident. “I want the circumstances have been completely different for me to be taught this stuff however I’m additionally glad it began the method for me to take action. … Our actions matter. Our phrases matter. And I need to encourage anybody that's watching to please be taught from my mistake. There’s no motive to downplay what I did,”
He later mentioned that after the incident, he checked himself into rehab and was “undecided” why he thought he may use the N-word and was “simply ignorant about it.” He additionally had conversations with music business executives about racism within the business and vowed to donate $500,000 to charitable organizations.
The 2022 Billboard Music Awards, hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs, is about to air reside from the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas on Sunday, Could 15 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Different performers set for the BBMAs embody Megan Thee Stallion, Crimson Sizzling Chili Peppers, Florence + the Machine, Maxwell, Silk Sonic and Icon Award recipient, Mary J. Blige.
The Billboard Music Awards ceremony is produced by MRC Dwell & Various, a division of MRC, which is a co-owner of The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard by way of a three way partnership with Penske Media titled P-MRC.