Grammys to go ahead after striking writers agree deal
Tuesday, 29 Jan 2008 17:01
Grammy awards to go ahead after striking writers' union agrees to allow members to work on show.
This year's Grammy awards will go ahead after the striking writers' union agreed to allow its members to work on the show, it has been confirmed.
The ceremony had been in jeopardy due to the ongoing industrial action by the Writers' Guild of America (WGA), which has been on strike since failing to reach an agreement with studios regarding royalty payments.
And after the cancellation of the Golden Globes ceremony over fears that actors would refuse to cross picket lines, the fate of the Grammys and the upcoming Oscars had been questionable.
But after the WGA agreed last week not to picket the event, it has now signed an interim agreement with show producers to allow WGA members to write for the show.
A statement issued today confirmed the move, saying: "The board of directors of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) has agreed to grant an interim agreement for this year's Grammy awards in Los Angeles."
Patric M Verrone, WGAW president, added: "In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW Board felt that this decision should be made.
"Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media."
The Recording Academy, which produces the annual awards show, had already pledged to hold the ceremony, buoyed by confirmation from the management companies representing the likes of Beyonce and the Foo Fighters that the stars would attend, picket lines or no.
"The Recording Academy is gratified by the WGA's decision to grant the interim agreement we requested for our milestone 50th annual Grammy Awards," president Neil Portnow said today in response to the WGA statement.
"Having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation, something our audience has come to expect every year."