On Sunday, Louis C.K. won the award for Best Comedy Album for Sincerely, five years after he admitted to several sexual misconduct allegations.
C.K. was nominated against albums by Kevin Hart, Nate Bargatze, Chelsea Handler, and Lavell Crawford. The Recording Academy tweeted “congrats” to the comedian after he was named the winner.
In 2017, at least five women accused the comedian of committing lewd acts. The claims ranged from the comedian masturbating in front of them to pleasuring himself during a phone call with a female comic. The New York Times compiled the stories of five women spanning several years.
Congrats Best Comedy Album winner – ‘Sincerely Louis CK’ Louis C.K.
WATCH NOW 🎶: https://t.co/iZP2mSPJkJ #GRAMMYPremiere #GRAMMYs
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) April 3, 2022
At the time, the comedian admitted that “these stories are true,” while issuing a statement. “At the time, I said to myself that what I did was OK because I never showed a woman my dick without asking first,” he said in 2017. “I have been remorseful of my actions. And I’ve tried to learn from them. And run from them.”
Late last year, after people questioned why people like C.K. and Marilyn Manson — who’s up for his work on Kanye West’s Donda and was accused by numerous women of sexual abuse — were nominated for awards, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said it “won’t restrict” eligible submissions.
“We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration,” he told The Wrap.
Manson may win a Grammy tonight if Donda takes home the award for Album of the Year.