Eminem 'robbed' of Grammy

Eminem backstage as Steely Dan win best album

Producer and music mogul Dr Dre has said controversial rapper Eminem was "robbed" of the Grammy's biggest prize, best album.

Dre, who produced Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP, said the voters had shied away from giving him the award because they feared further controversy.

Dr Dre produced the award-winning Marshall Mathers LP

The best album award went to Steely Dan for their album Two Against Nature.

Eminem won three awards on the night, including one for best rap album, while Dre won two awards, including best producer.

About 200 people protested outside the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, angry at what they perceive to be the singer's use of homophobic and misogynistic lyrics.

'Backlash'

"To be perfectly honest, I think we were robbed," Dre told the Access Hollywood programme, broadcast by US TV network NBC.

The voters truly don't care what the critics think

Michael Greene, NARAS

"It was probably something the Grammys had to do because of the backlash that they were going to get from giving him the award," he added.

About 13,000 members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences vote for the Grammys.

Michael Greene, president and chief executive of the academy, said the controversy surrounding Eminem had not affected voters.

'Independent'

"I don't think the content of Eminem's album had anything to do with it. Otherwise he wouldn't have been nominated or won the other Grammys.

The Grammys are rarely on the cutting edge of teenage culture

Danny Goldberg

"The voters truly don't care what the critics think or how they're perceived. They're very independent," Greene said.

"Eminem's nomination was a very positive opening up of the minds of the membership," he added.

But some critics feel Eminem missed out on the best album prize because of the traditionally conservative nature of the Grammys.

Viewing figures

The birth of rock and roll, Beatlemania, Elvis Presley and the punk movement never figured highly in the Grammys in their respective eras.

"This is in keeping with the Grammy's place in the culture. They usually are a little retro in terms of what they honour and are rarely on the cutting edge of teenage culture," said Danny Goldberg, a former Warner music executive, is now chairman and chief executive of Artemis Records.

Despite the controversy over Eminem, the overall TV audience for the music awards show was down on last year.

Although more younger viewers tuned in, ratings figures showed that the three-hour live programme averaged nearly 26.7 million viewers, down 1.1 million on the year before.