Joy Division Drummer: 'I Don’t Understand the Point' of Rock HOF

Joy Division and New Order drummer Stephen Morris admits he doesn’t "understand the point” of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, adding that the Hall’s decision to enshrine both his groups in a combo induction is “a bit of a cheat.”

“I don’t get awards," Morris remarked during a recent conversation with Rolling Stone. “I don’t understand the point of them. I’ve tried. I have really, really, believe me, tried. Unsuccessfully, I’ve tried giving awards. I’ve tried receiving awards. I’ve just gone and watched other people getting awards, and I’ve just come away feeling a bit like Peggy Lee. ‘Is that all there is? What is it about?’”

“I don’t get it,” the drummer continued. “And the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in particular.”

Morris went on to admit he was initially “suckered” the first time Joy Division was nominated for induction back in 2023.

“Oh, it’s great,” he recalled thinking. “It’s the fans who were voting for this, and that’s great. And I was there voting for myself trying … And then we didn’t get in. And then I realized that I was being duped. It wasn’t entirely the fans. That’s what I could understand. The people who came last got in, and the people who came top just were like, ‘Oh, see you later, alligator.’ Which I felt was a bit unfair to the people who went to the trouble of voting.”

Morris expressed appreciation that fans and Rock Hall voters felt compelled to honor the legacies of Joy Division and New Order. Ultimately, it seems, such honors are simply not the drummer’s cup of tea.

“It’s really good that people acknowledge that you might have done something good,” Morris admitted. “I just personally cannot see the point of an award ceremony or receiving in any way, shape or form. I’m sorry. I’m not ungrateful. I just don’t get it.”

Joy Division's Stephen Morris Suffering From a 'Pretty Serious' Illness

While Morris indicated it’s unlikely he’ll attend his bands’ Hall of Fame induction this year, the decision is more about health than any kind of protest.

“I’ve got a bit of a health problem at the minute, which precludes leaving the country for any length of time," Morris explained. “We did try. We went to an exhibition, the Ian Curtis lyrics exhibition in New York a few months ago and thought, ‘We’ll see how this goes. If this goes all right, it might be worth thinking…’ And that was only two days, and it just ended in disaster. So maybe not, maybe, but I can’t really say things will get better, because they won’t.”

While the drummer declined to elaborate on his health woes, he did note that the illness he’s dealing with is “pretty serious.” “It’s not something that someone’s going to come up with a cure for,” he conceded.

For now, Morris is focused on Eternal (Live), a sprawling 14-disc box set capturing 16 classic Joy Division concerts, including two that have never previously been released. The collection arrives Sept. 25.