February 16, 2012 20:10

Bon Iver's Justin Vernon calls Grammys 'self-important' after his double award win Bon Iver Tickets

Meanwhile, cartoon character Bonnie Bear asks the band to collaborate

Photo: PA

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has spoken out after winning two Grammy Awards on Sunday (February 12), something he said he was 'uncomfortable' about during his acceptance speech for Best New Artist.

Speaking to Spin, Vernon admitted that he didn't think the Grammy's were 'evil', saying: "It's not that the Grammys are evil, they've just been around the longest."

Vernon, who also won the award for Best Alternative Music Album for the self-titled 'Bon Iver', went on to add that even though he still has reservations about the awards, he "enjoyed" himself at the ceremony and said: "Ed Droste (Grizzly Bear) wrote me a note that said, 'Hey man, go win one for the indies.' I may not know what he means by 'the indies.' We could sit down and make a ten-point definition of what the indies are; we may not agree on every one on of them. But he's a friend and he's saying, 'We're with you.' You can't deny the fact that the Grammys have a historical significance as far as the industry staying above water. But that doesn't budge some of my personal concerns about it being too self-important."

Vernon said he nixed part of his speech because he thought it would be "confusing and too self-referential." The cut part apparently read: "It's hard to accept this award because of all the talent out there, but also because Bon Iver is an entity and something that I gave myself to. A lot of people give themselves to it, so it's hard to think of Bon Iver as an artist. Bon Iver is not an artist. Bon Iver is an idea."

US children's cartoon character Bonnie Bear has invited Bon Iver to collaborate with her after Grammy viewers misheard Bon Iver's name as Bonnie Bear after his wins and it started trending on Twitter, reports the Washington Post.

A representative from BabyFirstTV said: "Bonnie Bear and all her friends at BabyFirstTV congratulate you, Bon Iver, on your Grammy win! We would be delighted to invite the band to sing along with Bonnie Bear and her best friend, Mr. Gramophone, on BabyFirstTV where she paints beautiful pictures and teach[es] young children about the world around them."