Morgan Wallen Banned From 2021 American Music Awards
Morgan Wallen, the controversial country performer, will not be performing at this year’s American Music Awards live show. The 2021 American Music Awards (AMAs) nominees were announced this morning for the show on Nov. 21 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu the next day.
Wallen was a two-time nominee, with nominations in the categories of “Favorite Male Country Artist” and “Favorite Country Album.”
However, on its press release announcing the nominees, program producer MRC Live & Alternative added an asterisk next to Wallen’s name and explained what the mark represented at the bottom of the long list of nominees.
“American Music Awards (AMA) nominees are determined by performance on the Billboard Charts and are not picked by a voting committee or membership organization,” the show’s producers said in a statement. Billboard and its data partner MRC Data track important fan engagements with music (including streaming, album sales, single sales, radio airplay, and social engagement) to determine AMA nominations. The winners of the AMA are chosen solely by fans.
“Morgan Wallen is a nominee this year based on charting. As his conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting). We plan to evaluate his progress in doing meaningful work as an ally to the Black community and will consider his participation in future shows.”
Following his February 2021 video, Wallen was banned from a number of award shows and radio stations. He went on an apology tour and met with Black organizations about his error after a few months. After a several-month absence, he was reintroduced to his record label.
Despite these setbacks, his music saw a boom of popularity on numerous streaming platforms following the slur issue. On Good Morning America on July 23, Wallen officially apologized for his racial remark, claiming that “he was with some of [his] pals, and [they] say dumb stuff together,” and that “he was wrong” to say those things.
In August, Wallen’s single “Sand In My Boots” was released, bringing him back to country radio.