Paramore is standing in solidarity with Allison Russell by rejecting an honor from the House of Representatives in their home state of Tennessee.
The legislature moved to honor Paramore after its Grammy win earlier this month, but voted against recognizing Russell, a Black country artist from Tennessee who also won an award at the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Many have accused the legislature of racism, including Paramore's vocalist Hayley Williams.
Many, including Williams, believe the decision to snub Williams was motivated by racism.
"Paramore will not accept any acknowledgement or honor from the TN House until Allison Russell is given the same recognition," the band said in an Instagram story on Friday, Feb. 16.
The post also linked to a story from the Tennessean, which has a lengthier statement from Williams.
"This week, Rep. Justin Jones put forth resolutions to honor my band, Paramore and another local-to-Nashville artist, Allison Russell, on our recent Grammy wins (as far as I can tell these resolutions have no legal weight to them. They’re like a big high five or when the whole restaurant joins in to sing you 'Happy Birthday')," the singer said.
"House Republicans only let the measure that acknowledged Paramore’s win pass. They blocked Allison’s," she added. "For those that don’t know, Allison Russell is an incredibly talented musician and songwriter. Her music spans genres with strong ties to the Folk/Americana scenes. You might have seen her on the Grammy stage performing with the great Joni Mitchell. Oh, she is also Black. She’s a brilliant Black woman."
Williams went on to call out the politicians who voted against honoring Russell.
"The blatant racism of our state leadership is embarrassing and cruel. Myself, as well as Paramore, will continue to encourage young people to show up to vote with equality in mind," she said.
"I’d like to say thank you to Brother Jones for your steadfast commitment to your community. And thank you to Allison Russell for using your voice and artistry to band people together, not tear them apart. CONGRATS on your incredible Grammy night. On behalf of Paramore, Happy Black History Month."
Russell posted a portion of Williams' statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Jones, a Democrat representing Nashville, is one of just two Black legislators in the Tennessee House. He was also one of three lawmakers expelled from the body for a gun control protest in 2023.
House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, who led the expulsion effort, also objected to honoring Russell.
The country singer won the Best American Roots Performance for her track "Eve Was Black." She also received three nominations for her September 2023 album The Returner.
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Paramore won its first two Grammys this year. Their record This Is Why received the Best Rock Album award and the title track got Best Alternative Music Performance.
No members of the band were on hand to accept the trophies during the ceremony, but they posted a statement about the victories to Instagram the following day.
'The blatant racism of our state leadership is embarrassing and cruel,' Williams said.
"First off, infinite thanks to our fans, our team, and the voting academy for making This Is Why such a moment for us, 20 years into our career," the band said on Monday, Feb. 5.
"Our band won two Grammys last night, sitting together in Zac's living room, dressed in our regular clothes (yes, we saw the empty red carpet meme).
"Turns out, our win for Best Rock Album was a historic feat as we are the first female-fronted band to ever take home a trophy for this category. Ridiculous yet true!" the note says. "It's an honor for Paramore to be a small but constant reminder for people to keep pushing these rock and alternative spaces to be more inclusive."
The band also spoke about the state of their career.
"Some of you will know that This Is Why was our last album for our deal with Atlantic Records," they said. "To finish anything well is something to be proud of. Thank you to anyone who supported the ethos of Paramore as much as the music."
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