Weeknd said it would boycott the Grammy going forward, refusing to attend or present his work for consideration from now on. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my record company to send my music to the Grammy,” he said in a statement to The New York Times.
The Canadian singer’s latest album After hours was one of the biggest albums of the year in 2020, debuting first on the Billboard 200 chart after its release in March. It was widely considered the biggest scorn of the year when the 2021 Grammy nominations were announced in November. After the nominations were revealed, Weeknd tweeted: “The Grammys are still corrupted. You owe me, my fans and the transparency of the industry … ”
Harvey Mason Jr., The Acting President and President / CEO of the Recording Academy, said in November, “You know, it really depends on the voting body that decides.” In response to Weeknd’s new statement, Mason said The times, “We are all disappointed when someone gets upset…. But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in previous years, we’re going to take a look at how to improve our award process, including nomination review committees. “
The Weeknd now joins the ranks of artists like Drake and Frank Ocean, who previously criticized and boycotted the awards. Ocean remarkably refused to send Blonde and Without end the year they were eligible.
Pitchfork contacted representatives from Weeknd and the Recording Academy for comments and more information.
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