**Headline:** Grammy-Winning Duo Milli Vanilli Formally Stripped of 1990 Award in Unprecedented Move by Recording Academy
**NEW YORK (AP) — September 10, 2024 — 7:00 PM EST** In a landmark decision that has sent shockwaves through the music industry, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has officially rescinded the 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist from the pop duo Milli Vanilli.
**What transpired?** The Recording Academy issued a formal declaration on Tuesday, revoking the award following a conclusive investigation by the organization’s historical archive committee. The investigation confirmed that members Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus did not perform a single vocal track on their multi-platinum album *Girl You Know It’s True*.
**Who is involved?** The decision directly affects the former duo, Morvan and Pilatus (who passed away in 1998), as well as record producer Frank Farian, who masterminded the project. Farian publicly admitted the duo lip-synced their performances in 1990, a revelation that triggered the initial scandal.
**When did this take effect?** The revocation is retroactive to November 1990, when the fraud was first exposed. The Academy states the formal removal was delayed until modern protocols for rescinding historic awards were finalized. The award is now officially vacant.
**Where does this leave the legacy?** The Grammy will not be re-awarded. Billboard, however, retains the duo’s six #1 singles on their chart history, citing the recorded product as the commercial unit sold. The Recording Academy’s statement calls this “a final chapter in a cautionary tale about authenticity in the recording arts.”
**Why now?** Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stated the decision was prompted by a new, independent documentary slated for release next month. The documentary provides never-before-heard studio tapes and testimony from session vocalists