The Weeknd has declared that going forward, he will no longer submit his music for consideration to the Grammys and will boycott the award show.
What We Know:
- According to NME, the Canadian artist tweeted that the Grammys “remain corrupt”, after being snubbed this year after his latest 2020 album After Hours, was not nominated despite multiple hit songs. He said Grammy organizers “owe me, my fans and the industry transparency.” The tweet garnered support from fellow artists like Elton John and Mabel who have also denounced the organization.
https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1331394452447870977
- The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, told the New York Times in a statement, “Because of the secret committees. I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.” The Grammys have faced a number of accusations of bias against women and Black artists, and multiple complaints about the predominantly white nominating committee.
- Fans and fellow artists were shocked after The Weekend received zero nominations. Earlier this week, his hit song “Blinding Lights” broke chart records to become the first song to ever spend an entire year in the Top 10 of the US Hot 100 singles chart. In the latest Hot 100 chart, published on March 9th, “Blinding Lights” appeared in the top 10 for its 52nd consecutive week. Just last month, The Weekend headlined the Super Bowl halftime show featuring all of his hit songs.
- Producer, songwriter, and the academy’s interim chief executive Harvey Mason Jr. responded to The Weeknd’s statement saying, “We’re all disappointed when anyone is upset. But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in past years, we are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees.”
The 63rd Annual Grammys Award Show is set to take place this Sunday in Los Angeles, California.
