Tiffany Haddish turned down an approach to host the 2021 Grammys Premiere Ceremony because she wouldn’t be paid.
The Girl’s Trip actress was asked to present the three-hour event — which is where the bulk of the Recording Academy’s 83 trophies are handed out before the televised main show — but was also warned her costs for hair, makeup and wardrobe wouldn’t be covered, so she said no to the “disrespectful” offer.
She told Variety: “All of that would have to come out of my pocket.
“I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful.
“I was like, ‘The exposure is amazing but I think I have enough. I appreciate you guys asking.’
“And as much as I appreciate the honor of being nominated, that’s not OK.”
Haddish — who is up for Best Comedy Album for Black Mitzvah at the ceremony and received a nomination in 2019 for Best Spoken Word album for her audiobook The Black Unicorn — thinks members of the Recording Academy need to change their approach.
She added: “This is something that needs to be addressed. How many other people have they done that to? It’s like a guy asking you on a date but telling you that you have to pay for it.”
A representative for the Recording Academy told Variety that host, presenters and performers are not traditionally compensated for participating in the Grammys Premiere Ceremony because it is a production of their not-for-profit organization, whereas the prime-time awards ceremony is a CBS program.
Last year, the Grammys Premiere Ceremony was hosted by Imogen Heap.
