Country artist Morgan Wallen is incompetent to perform at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards or receive any recognition for it, the organization announced Wednesday, while the star faces the setback for a viral video showing how he throws a racial sling in front of friends.
The first round of voting for the awards program, which is expected to air on April 18, has already closed. Wallen’s name will be removed from the second round of voting, which opens on February 10, according to the ACM.
“The Academy of Country Music will put Morgan Wallen’s possible involvement and eligibility for this year’s 56 stopde Academy of Country Music Awards Cycle, ” reads a statement from the Academy.
“The Academy does not tolerate or support intolerance or conduct that is inconsistent with our commitment and commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
The ACM, which is hosting the smallest country music’s two major awards for November’s Country Music Association Awards, has also announced that it will remove all of Wallen’s digital content from its website.
The 27-year-old won the CMA award for ‘Best New Artist’ last year.
Wallen was also suspended “indefinitely” by his record company earlier on Wednesday after TMZ first reported on a video showing Tennessee resident saying the N-word after an evening of drinking in Nashville.
Its radio broadcast received a major hit this week following the scandal – with almost 80 per cent after iHeartRadio and Cumulus Media, the country’s two largest radio chains, instructed their stations to stop playing Wallen’s music , according to a report in Variety.
Wallen on Wednesday apologized for the incident and called his actions “unacceptable and inappropriate”.
‘I’m embarrassed and sorry. “I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial barrier that I wish I could take back,” he said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. ‘There are never any excuses for using this type of language. I sincerely apologize for the use of the word. I promise to do better. ”
It remains unclear whether Wallen will be banned from future awards, including this year’s CMA awards.