The Weeknd to Boycott Grammys Going Forward
The Weeknd is boycotting the Grammys.
After being shut out of the 2021 nominations, the singer has announced that he will boycott the awards from now on. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” he told The New York Times.
He is referring to the anonymous expert committees that review the initial nomination selections from voting members of the Recording Academy and narrow them down to the final nominees. They ultimately decide who makes the cut. The Grammys claim that the committees are done to preserve the integrity of the awards.
The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 25, 2020
The Weeknd, whose music was submitted in six Grammy categories, received no nominations this year despite the commercial and critical success of his latest album After Hours.
“I use a sucker punch as an analogy,” he told Billboard in January. “Because it just kind of hit me out of nowhere. I definitely felt … I felt things. I don’t know if it was sadness or anger. I think it was just confusion. I just wanted answers. Like, ‘What happened?’ We did everything right, I think. I’m not a cocky person. I’m not arrogant. People told me I was going to get nominated. The world told me. Like, ‘This is it; this is your year.’ We were all very confused.”
He also questioned if something bigger was at play. “If you were like, ‘Do you think the Grammys are racist?’ I think the only real answer is that in the last 61 years of the Grammys, only 10 Black artists have won album of the year,” he said. “I don’t want to make this about me. That’s just a fact.”
The Weeknd joins a list of Black artists including Drake, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, JAY-Z, and Nicki Minaj, who have publicly rebuked the Grammys.
Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation. They gave it to the white man Bon Iver. #PinkFriday
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) November 24, 2020
Earlier this week, Zayn–who has never been nominated–publicly cursed out the Grammys. “F**k the grammys and everyone associated,” tweeted the former One Direction singer. “Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there’s no nomination considerations. Next year I’ll send you a basket of confectionary.”
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will be held Sunday, March 14, featuring performances from Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, and more.
Fuck the grammys and everyone associated. Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there’s no nomination considerations. Next year I’ll send you a basket of confectionary.
— zayn (@zaynmalik) March 9, 2021
My tweet was not personal or about eligibility but was about the need for inclusion and the lack of transparency of the nomination process and the space that creates and allows favoritism, racism, and netwokring politics to influence the voting process
— zayn (@zaynmalik) March 10, 2021