In 2012, Bon Iver took home the Best New Artist Grammy trophy, four years removed from releasing their debut LP. Nevertheless, frontman Justin Vernon already had a complicated rapport with the awards ceremony at that point. The band opted out of performing on that year's broadcast, with Vernon explaining, "We wanted to play our music, but were told that we couldn't play. We had to do a collaboration with someone else… I don't think they wanted us to play." (A familiar tune!) This morning, Vernon responded to last evening's absurdities with the same frustrated incredulity many of us are experiencing.
He shared these tweets regarding Bruno Mars' astonishing Album of the Year victory:
He also posted additional thoughts about why the Grammys ultimately hold little significance in music's broader landscape:
He furthermore called out Recording Academy head Neil Portnow over the "shitty coach language" in his remark that women need to "step up" if they want to win Grammys:
Celebrities: They're just like the rest of us!
