Recording Academy Pres./CEO Dugan Placed On Leave
• As RAMP went to press Thursday evening, we received word that Deborah Dugan, President & CEO of The Recording Academy had been placed on administrative leave — ten days before the 62nd Grammy Awards.
An internal memo provided to Variety states, “In light of concerns raised to the Recording Academy Board of Trustees, including a formal allegation of misconduct by a senior female member of the Recording Academy team, the Board has placed Recording Academy President and CEO Deborah Dugan on administrative leave, effective immediately. The Board has also retained two independent third-party investigators to conduct independent investigations of the allegations.”
The memo continues, “The Board determined this action to be necessary in order to restore the confidence of the Recording Academy’s Membership, repair Recording Academy employee morale, and allow the Recording Academy to focus on its mission of serving all music creators. Board Chair Harvey Mason Jr. will serve as interim President and CEO pending the conclusion of the investigation. The Recording Academy Board of Trustees is committed to fostering a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace, music industry, and society.”
Dugan was named to the post in August 2019 after the departure of Neil Portnow, who had served as Pres./CEO for 17 years. It remains unclear exactly what the “serious concerns” are, as referenced in the statement, or which “senior female team member” leveled these as-yet unknown allegations. Stay tuned.
