The Grammys have responded to criticim over the controversial inclusion of Marilyn Manson and Louis CK after they revealed the list of nominees for next year’s ceremony.

Manson, who has been accused of sexual assault and abuse, features on Kanye West’s album DONDA, which is up for Album of the Year.

He also appear’s on West’s track JAIL, which has received a nod for Best Rap Song.

Meanwhile, comedian Louis CK is up for Best Comedy Album despite being accused of sexual misconduct.

In a statement to TheWrap, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. defended the decision to include the artists, saying they “won’t look at people’s history”.

He elaborated: “We won’t restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration. We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within the rules of, is this recording for the work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration.

“What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets. We’ll take a look at anyone who is asking to be a part of that, asking to be in attendance, and we’ll make our decisions at that point. But we’re not going to be in the business of restricting people from submitting their work for our voters to decide on.”

The 2022 Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on January 31.