Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. says rumors about R. Kelly’s Grammys being rescinded now that the singer has a criminal conviction are just rumors at the moment.
via: Revolt
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. shut down rumors that the “Ignition” singer’s three Grammys have been revoked, although he was just convicted on sex trafficking charges. “I think it’s something that we’re going to need to take a good hard look at, have a lot of conversations about, work through and make a decision,” Mason said.
Back in 1997, Kelly won Grammys in three separate categories for “I Believe I Can Fly,” the hit single from the Space Jam soundtrack.
“But right now, I think it’s something that is going to take a little bit more consideration before we can really dictate or decide,” Mason added. “My initial feeling is we’re probably not a business that we want to be in of taking people’s awards back after they’ve been given. But we’ll take a good look at it and see.”
As REVOLT previously reported, last month, Kelly was convicted of one count of racketeering, with 14 underlying acts that included sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, kidnapping and sex trafficking charges.
Additionally, he was also convicted of eight counts of violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law that makes it illegal to move anyone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.” Kelly’s sentencing is set for May 4, 2022, where he potentially faces 10 years to life in prison.
Following his conviction, his music sales reportedly soared tremendously. The 12 Play singer saw “double-digit growth” in streams and “triple-digit growth” in sales, according to Rolling Stone. From Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, Kelly’s on-demand audio plays grew by 22 percent, while his video streams increased by 23 percent compared to the previous week. His album sales surged by 517 percent and his streams jumped from 11.2 million to 13.4 million.
R. Kelly was reportedly put on suicide watch after his conviction. His lawyer, however, confirmed days later that he had been removed from the categorization.
