Damon Albarn on “bullshit” award ceremonies: “I don’t think they’re fair… If something’s not fair it shouldn’t exist”
The Gorillaz founder doesn’t mix his words when it comes to the music industry…
Image: Apple Music/YouTube
Damon Albarn has shared his lifelong disdain for music-related awards ceremonies, labelling them as “unfair bullshit”.
The legendary songwriter was speaking as part of a new interview, hosted by Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, when he shared his controversial outlook on the music industry.
Primarily discussing his discography, recording studio and new Gorillaz album, Cracker Island, the topic arose when the musician elaborated on his attitude towards critical success – namely in the form of awards.
“It’s bullshit. The whole awards are bullshit. They’re all fucking bullshit because they just don’t really represent what’s going on,” he said.
“It’s all to do with the people in the room who make the decisions. And the politics. And the economics… I don’t think they’re fair ever… if something’s not fair it shouldn’t exist.”
Here, Albarn cites a time when he first noticed the ‘ridiculousness’ of the awards ceremonies. This, he says, was during Blur’s first appearance at the Brit Awards in 1995 – when the band won awards for Best British Band, Best British Album, Best British Video and Best Song.
“We came to [collect] the fourth award and I thought it was so inappropriate that we were winning everything because it was the first time I’d ever been to anything like that,” he tells Lowe.
“I didn’t understand that that’s how it goes, you know? If you’re the flavour of the month, you win everything.”
Elsewhere in the discussion, the musician showcases a variety of the unlikely studio equipment used throughout some of his most famous releases. Based inside his West London Studio, Unit 13, this includes a Suzuki Omnichord which was used to create the iconic piano section in the Gorillaz track, Clint Eastwood.
Check out the new Gorillaz LP, Cracker Island, on gorillaz.com.
