The weekend has said it will boycott the Grammys in the future, refusing to attend or present its work for consideration from now on. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to present my music at the Grammy,” he said in a statement to New York Times.
The latest album from the Canadian singer After classes was one of the biggest albums of the year in 2020, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200 when it was released in March. It was widely considered the biggest rejection of the year, when Grammy nominations for 2021 were announced in November. After the nominations were revealed, Weeknd wrote on Twitter: “Grammys remain corrupt. You owe it to me, my fans and the transparency of the industry … ”
Harvey Mason jr., President and Acting President / CEO of the Recording Academy, said in November, “You know, it’s really just the voting body that decides.” In response to Weeknd’s new statement, Mason said time“We are all disappointed when someone is upset.” But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in previous years, we will look closely at how we can improve our award process, including nomination review committees. ”
Weeknd is now joining the ranks of artists such as Drake and Frank Ocean, who previously criticized and boycotted the awards show. Ocean especially refused to show up Blonde and Without end in the year in which they were eligible.
Pitchfork contacted representatives for Weeknd and the Academy of Recordings for comments and more information.
Watch all the Pitchfork coverage of the 2021 Grammy Awards.