Report: Taylor Swift Removes ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ From Grammy + CMA Awards Consideration
According to a new report, Taylor Swift will not submit her recently released Fearless (Taylor's Version) album for consideration in any categories in the upcoming Grammy Awards or CMA Awards.
Billboard reports that the country-turned-pop superstar has decided not to submit her 2021 re-recorded version of her sophomore album from 2008 for consideration in any categories in the two major awards shows, attributing that news to a statement from her label, Republic Records.
“After careful consideration, Taylor Swift will not be submitting Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in any category at this year’s upcoming Grammy and CMA Awards," the statement reads. “Fearless has already won four Grammys including album of the year, as well as the CMA Award for album of the year in 2009/2010 and remains the most awarded country album of all time."
According to the statement, Swift will submit her ninth studio album, Evermore — which she released in December of 2020 — to the Grammy Awards for consideration in all of the categories in which it's eligible. As Billboard notes, that means the industry insiders who vote on the awards can turn their attention to Evermore, avoiding the possibility that they might split their votes between Evermore and Fearless (Taylor's Version).
Swift is re-recording her first six albums for BMLG days following her split from the label — after the completion of her original record deal, she signed with Universal Music Group in 2018 — and a very public battle over her past master recordings. BMLG was purchased by celebrity talent manager Scooter Braun, whom Swift says has been a bully to her over the years. She claims that she was not notified of the label's sale ahead of time, and was never given a fair chance to acquire her masters or purchase the label outright.
Braun sold Swift's back catalog to an investment group for more than $300 million in November of 2020, according to Variety. That group was later identified as Shamrock Holdings.
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