Janet Jackson elected not to perform, but she showed up to accept the award, along with her co-producer Jimmy Jam. “I’m so grateful and honored that Rhythm Nation is being recognized tonight in this wonderful, wonderful way,” Jackson said. “It’s beautiful to relive the memories attached to this project that’s so, so precious to me tonight.
“Rhythm Nation still resonates on a deep and profound level. It’s an ongoing force that fights bigotry and promotes understanding. It cannot be stopped. It’s simply too strong, too positive. Rhythm Nation is a movement of people of all ages and backgrounds, seeking to give and receive love free of judgment. As we celebrate tonight, let’s remember that it transcends all borders, nationalities and faiths.
“I hope you hear my heart’s desire when we first created this suite of songs. More than ever, my hope is that we might live in a world free of fear and despair. The prayer driving this remains exactly the same — that peace prevail. Peace the world over, peace among nations, peace in our neighborhoods, peace in our homes. May the music of Rhythm Nation continue to bring us together in peace, and may that peace allow us to celebrate this precious gift of life that God has given us all.”
Jam, who co-produced the album with Terry Lewis and Jackson, said “It’s an honor to be here tonight, particularly as we recognize an album it means so much to us.
“When my partner, Terry Lewis, and I started working on Rhythm Nation with Janet, we weren’t trying to make a political statement. We were simply responding to a world around us. We were watching the news and seeing all the pain and injustice and the tragedy, and we asked ourselves, ‘What could we do?’ We felt a responsibility to use our voices. So this album, it was a big commercial success, but even better than that, it changed lives, and so did Janet. So much of what we see in music today, especially when it comes to female empowerment, traces back to her influence.
“I always tell people, you don’t have to worry about ever interviewing Janet because everything that you want to know about her is on each one of those albums. The whole idea of, you know, being vulnerable on albums, don’t worry about having to be perfect on albums, and just express yourself. I think that’s the thing that makes those albums so special. And I’ve heard stories of young people actually going back to school because of that album [Rhythm Nation]. And nearly 40 years later, the message still resonates. It’s a reminder that music can heal, unite and inspire us to change. But also, unfortunately, there’s still a lot of work to still be done. So, I want to say thank you to the Recording Academy for this award, but I really want to say thank you to Janet for trusting us to bring your vision to life.”
