PLUG PULLED ON
GERMAN GRAMMYS

In a shocking turn of events, the German trade org BVMI announced Wednesday that the Echo Awards—analogous to our Grammys—has ceased to exist. The move is in reaction to the firestorm surrounding the awarding of the album of the year Echo to Jung, Brutal, Gutaussehend 3 by rap collaborators Kollegah and Farid Bang on 4/12.

The controversy centers on one track from the deluxe edition of the set, which contains the line, “My body’s more defined than that of Auschwitz inmates.” Not surprisingly, according to various published reports, said line sparked wall-to-wall indignation from German media and celebrities, who were extremely skeptical about the rappers’ repeated claims that they were not bigots. Additionally, several winners announced that they were returning their awards in protest. More recently, BMG, which distributed JBG3, has cut all ties with the rappers.

In a statement, the BVMI explained this extraordinary decision by making clear that it does “not want this music prize to be perceived as a platform for anti-Semitism, contempt for women, homophobia or the blurring of violence [after] what happened around this year’s [ceremony], for which the Board has apologized.”

The org further stated that the annual event needs a “complete new beginning”, and that the “Executive Board will take the necessary time to make the changes more concrete”, with the first step –a workshop—taking place in June.