Grammys organiser says it will respect China bans
Recording Academy will only use artists with ‘positive and healthy’ image for live mainland tour
The organiser of the music industry’s annual Grammy Awards on Thursday said it would respect China’s media curbs and only promote artists with a “positive and healthy” image, in its bid to break into the world’s second-largest economy.
The Recording Academy, which is behind the Grammys, the industry’s biggest awards show, plans to launch a tour in China in 2018 featuring award-winning artists, or nominees, performing live shows.
China has launched a campaign to cleanse the entertainment sector of content it deems inappropriate and unhealthy, a vague term the authorities also frequently use to justify censorship of politically sensitive topics.
“If there are restrictions and things in that nature, we have to be respectful,” Neil Portnow, president and chief executive of the Recording Academy, said in Beijing.
Stars blocked from performing in China include Lady Gaga, Bjork and Bon Jovi, who have all met or expressed support for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Recently a Chinese state office barred Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, citing his bad behaviour and urging him to improve his conduct to become a singer “truly loved” by the public.