Stephen Morris, the drummer for Joy Division and New Order, expresses his confusion regarding the significance of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, stating that the Hall’s choice to induct both bands together feels “a bit of a cheat.”

“I don’t get awards,” Morris shared in a recent interview 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,” he continued. “And the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in particular.”

Morris admitted that he felt “suckered” when Joy Division was first nominated for induction back in 2023.

READ MORE: Why Joy Division/New Order Should Be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

“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 appreciates that fans and Rock Hall voters wish to honor the legacies of Joy Division and New Order. Ultimately, it appears that such honors are simply not his preference.

“It’s really good that people acknowledge that you might have done something good,” Morris stated. “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.”

Is Stephen Morris Suffering From a Serious Illness?

While Morris indicated he is unlikely to attend his bands’ Hall of Fame induction this year, this decision is primarily due to health concerns rather than any form 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.”

READ MORE: Two Members of New Order Step Away ‘For the Foreseeable Future’

While he declined to provide details about his health issues, he did mention that his condition 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 comprehensive 14-disc box set featuring 16 classic Joy Division concerts, including two that have never been released before. The collection is set to arrive on September 25.