Trent Reznor ‘Couldn’t Give Less of a S—‘ About Rock Hall
Even though Nine Inch Nails were nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, they haven't made the shortlist since.
But you can count frontman Trent Reznor among the artists who've expressed indifference to the Hall of Fame.
"I saw somebody write something online or comment on Twitter like, 'What could be less rock 'n' roll than the fuckin’ Hall of Fame,'” he told Stereogum in a new interview. "And that is authentically how I feel about it. I’ll say this: It’s nice to be appreciated. It’s nicer when it feels like that’s coming from a place that you care about. Like, a Grammy doesn’t mean a fuckin’ thing. It means a few assholes in a room that are trying to make a TV show have good ratings deciding, 'Let’s give it to this guy.' It doesn’t feel like it has any meaning behind it."
Reznor added that it's not just "sour grapes." "I honestly couldn’t give less of a shit," he said. "I’m not gonna sleep any better. Included or not. With that being said, it’s always nice to feel you’ve been appreciated to some degree, but it’s not on my list of things I have to achieve before I die."
With Nine Inch Nails have been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards, winning in 1993 and 1995 for Best Metal Performance; Reznor and frequent collaborator Atticus Ross picked up another Grammy in 2013 for their score to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. His biggest award came in 2011, when he and Ross won a Best Original Score Academy Award for The Social Network. Reznor said he sees a difference between an Oscar and a Grammy or the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"The Oscar was completely unexpected," he said. "When you see what goes on behind the scenes there and the different guilds and how many people are involved and how seriously they take it, I’m still pretty blown away by that. I’m not saying there isn’t politics and bullshit involved too, but it feels like it’s coming from a much more significant place and from the community that’s honoring you than a couple dudes trying to get ratings for a TV show like the Grammys. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who knows what that is. I don’t give a shit. It’s irritating every year that suddenly my inbox lights up with, 'Oh man, sorry about … ' I don’t give a fuck! You know what I mean? I don’t … The worst would be if we did [get inducted] and then what? We’d have to fuckin’ show up and jam? I can’t even imagine what that would be."