Hedley cut from Junos over sexual misconduct allegations
B.C. pop-rock group Hedley will not be performing at the 2018 Juno Awards after a number of allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled at the band.
“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,” read an update shared to the official Twitter account of the Junos.
Allan Reid, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), said early Wednesday the academy was “aware of the serious allegations” and the organization responsible for the Junos was “following this situation very closely.”
Hedley is listed as a nominee in the categories of Juno Fan Choice, Group of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for their 2017 release, Cageless. It is their seventh studio album and they are on tour promoting the album.
The band won Video of the Year in 2011 for the song Perfect, as well as Pop Album of the Year in 2012 for Storms.
The news of Hedley’s dismissal from the Junos lineup came about 30 minutes after the band posted a statement to its Facebook page addressing the claims.
“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,” the statement begins.
“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.”
Hedley’s statement acknowledges the allegations that have been shared but said those claims 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,” the statement reads.
The allegations against the band have been shared via re-tweets and direct messages to an anonymous Twitter account. Many of the allegations relate to post-show interactions and conduct between the band and underage fans.
Among those allegations is a claim that members of the band invited underage extras from a music video shoot back to their hotel room.
Postmedia has not been able to independently verify the allegations.
A request for comment left with Watchdog Management, which manages Hedley, was not immediately returned.