VANCOUVER (CelebrityAccess) The 2018 JUNO Awards are expected to take place in Vancouver, BC, March 25 but without the band Hedley, which has been dismissed from performing because of sexual misconduct allegations.
“We are aware of the serious allegations regarding Hedley and we are following this situation closely<‘said Allan Reid, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording arts and Sciences, organizer of the Junos.
After careful consideration of the situation and in discussions with the band, CARAS and Hedley have decided that the band will not be performing at the 2018 JUNO Awards.
— The JUNO Awards (@TheJUNOAwards) February 14, 2018
The Feb. 14 announcement comes one day after several announced on social media that members of the band had committed sexually inappropriate acts and called for the band’s removal from the awards show. One victim told Global News that lead singer Jacob Hoggard plied underage girls with drinks and other said he touched them without consent. The age of 16 is age of consent in Canada.
Hedley released the following statement:
“All of us in Hedley respect and applaud the #MeToo movement and the open and honest discussion it has inspired. We believe these conversations are particularly important within the music industry, which does not exactly have an enviable history of treating women with the respect they deserve. We appreciate the bravery of those who have come forward with their own stories, and we realize that all of us, as individuals and as a society, can and must do better when it comes to this issue.
However, if we are to have a meaningful, open and honest discussion, we all have to accept and respect that there are at least two sides to every story. The recent allegations against us posted on social media are simply unsubstantiated and have not been validated. We would hope that people will bear-in-mind the context in which these unsupported accusations have been made before passing judgment on us as individuals or as a band.
We realize the life of a touring band is an unconventional one. While we are all now either married or have entered into committed, long-term relationships, there was a time, in the past, when we engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock and roll clichés. However, there was always a line that we would never cross.
We realize this conversation is as important to our fans as it is to us, and we never want to distract from these important discussions. To that end, as we move forward, we will be evaluating some of our next steps. Hedley’s music should only ever be a positive force, and our performances and personal appearances should continue to be inclusive and safe experiences that bring nothing but joy and happiness to our fans.”
