The Weeknd has vowed never to submit his music to the Grammy Awards again.
The ‘Blinding Lights’ hitmaker previously blasted the annual awards ceremony after his album ‘After Hours’ – which received critical acclaim – was completely snubbed from the 2021 nominations list.
And now, he has revealed he’s so infuriated with his treatment, he will no longer be boycotting the Grammys forever, and won’t be submitting any of his future work for consideration.
He told The New York Times newspaper: “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”
The Weeknd – whose real name is Abel Tesfaye – previously accused the Recording Academy and their award show of being “corrupt” when the nominations were revealed in November and called for the organisation to be more “transparent” with how it shortlists talents.
He tweeted at the time: “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency….”
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Recording Academy chair and interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. later responded to The Weeknd’s comments and said he was “surprised” he wasn’t recognized, as he blamed the lack of nominations on there being “fewer” to hand out “than the number of deserving artists”.
He said: “We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling.
“His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration. Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists.
“All Grammy nominees are recognized by the voting body for their excellence, and we congratulate them all.”
The Weeknd’s decision to boycott the Grammys comes after Zayn Malik also recently slammed the awards ceremony as he accused them of being rigged.
He tweeted: “F*** the Grammys and everyone associated. Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there are no nomination considerations.Next year I’ll send you a basket of confectionary.”
The former One Direction star later insisted his criticism wasn’t about his own album.
He added: “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 networking politics to influence the voting process.”
The 2021 Grammy Awards are set to take place this Sunday (14.03.21).
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