Grammy official fired after excluding Moliy’s hit from 2026 nominations
Sean Thwaites, the former project manager of awards at The Recording Academy, was dismissed shortly after excluding Moliy’s Shake It To The Max from the 2026 Grammy Awards. His termination came just 48 hours after a Billboard article covered the eligibility ruling. Thwaites had previously received strong performance reviews and additional responsibilities before his sudden exit.
Thwaites based his decision on existing Grammy rules for remix eligibility. The Recording Academy initially accepted his ruling before reversing its stance. He later clarified that his actions were not driven by bias, pointing to his long-standing efforts to promote African music globally.
The incident raises questions about internal processes at The Recording Academy. Thwaites’ removal came despite his adherence to established rules and prior commendations. The organisation has not publicly addressed the broader concerns regarding staffing decisions in its awards division.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
