‘Screw The Grammys’, Village People Reject Hall Of Fame Induction

The Village People’s “YMCA” was inducted into the Recording Academy’s Grammy Hall Of Fame in December, alongside 28 other songs and albums spanning from A Tribute Called Quest to Betty Wright. But in a new interview with TMZ, main Village Person Victor Willis doesn’t sound too happy with the Academy’s nod to the band.

Unlike a lot of people’s problems with the Grammys this year, his complaint seems to boil down to the idea that the Grammys don’t pay enough attention to older music.

Willis told TMZ that he was offended at how little fanfare those inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame receive, with no mention during the annual telecast and no proper induction ceremony. He said that he told interim Grammy president Harvey Mason Jr. that they’re rejecting their induction. (It’s unclear if they can actually do that, given that they were seemingly already inducted. Inductees receive an official certificate from the Recording Academy.) Willis said that the Hall Of Fame “is not taken seriously by the Recording Academy” and that the Grammys should “show respect for classic artists who built the recording business.”

He also said that when the Village People release a new album later this year — something they’ve been teasing for a while — that they probably won’t even submit it for contention at the Grammys.

This isn’t the first time Willis has called out the Grammys. Back in 2017, he claimed that the show had a secret committee that overrides votes for Black artists.