Sturgill Simpson On Grammy Nomination: “I Would’ve Liked To See Frank Ocean’s Name Where Mine Is”
The country singer’s Best Album nom came as a shock to him too.
Sturgill Simpson was apparently just as stunned as anybody when the Grammys announced his A Sailor's Guide to the Earth as a nominee for Best Album this morning. In a short interview today, the country artist told The New York Times he was "trying to wrap my head around what this even means," and called the nomination "extremely humbling."
Asked about his fellow nominees, Simpson also expressed his admiration for Frank Ocean, who purposely withheld his own albums, Endless and Blonde from Grammy consideration this year.
"I really, really wish, honestly, and no [expletive] — I would’ve liked to see Frank Ocean’s name where mine is," Simpson said, "But that’s not my place to say. I totally understand [his protest]. I just thought that record [‘Blonde’] was really groundbreaking."
In his own NYT interview last month, Frank explained his Grammy boycott, saying, “I’d rather this be my Colin Kaepernick moment for the Grammys than sit there in the audience," and specifically citing the award show's shortcomings in honoring black artists.