SZA was set to perform at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) but her management made the decision to pull her from the lineup after being excluded from an award category.
The SOS singer's manager of over a decade, Terrence “Punch” Henderson, told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview that he ultimately pulled his client from the VMAs stage after she was not included in the Artist of the Year category. The award ultimately went to Taylor Swift, with the other nominees being Beyoncé, Shakira, Nicki Minaj, Karol G, and Doja Cat.
“Obviously, she had one of the best years, if not the best year, of any artist at this point,” Henderson said. “I don’t see why she wouldn’t be nominated for Artist of the Year. It just really didn’t make any sense to me. It’s disrespectful.”
SZA's last album, SOS, was a critical success and spent 10 weeks on Billboard’s 200 albums chart. The album produced multiple hit singles, including “Kill Bill,” which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
While SZA wasn't nominated for the Artist of the Year category, she was the second most nominated artist at the VMAs, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and more. The singer won Best R&B for her hit “Shirt,” but did not attend the award ceremony to accept.
“I figured, why go perform and do this if she’s not going to be respected to the highest level? So, it was my call to actually pull out of the performance,” Henderson continued.
While SZA hasn't directly commented on the situation, Henderson noted that she is a “very sweet person,” and doesn't care for “all of the nonsense and the politics and the back and forth.”
“But ultimately… I felt it was disrespectful and I was very stern on that and influencing that," Henderson continued. “If there's any issues or backlash and all of that, I'm taking all of that.”
Despite the VMA disappointment, SZA is continuing her reign in the music industry and is set to release a deluxe edition of SOS, along with a forthcoming single with Drake called “Slime You Out.” Henderson said that at the end of the day, her focus is the fans.
