The Weeknd Continues To Boycott Grammys In Spite Of Changes To Nomination Process

The Weeknd Continues To Boycott Grammys In Spite Of Changes To Nomination Process

The Grammys may be changing its protocol surrounding nominations, but The Weeknd is still firm in his boycott!

As you may recall, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) vowed to boycott the Grammy Awards after feeling snubbed by the Awards committee. This sentiment resulted from The Weeknd‘s After Hours album not receiving any nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards. He called out the awards show in November.

Specifically, The Weeknd‘s gripe stemmed from the Grammys’ use of secret committees. These secret committees had the job of reviewing nominations and essentially deeming who was eligible for nomination that year. This was made clear in a statement the “Save Your Tears” singer gave following the 2021 Grammys nominations:

“Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”

However, the Grammys Awards recently announced that it is implementing new changes to its processes, and this includes the elimination of secret committees. As a result, nominations will be determined by a majority vote of Academy members, rather than mysterious committees that exist behind-the-scenes. It is presumed that recent backlash from artists like The Weeknd, Kanye West, and Jay-Z helped bring about this change, as the secret committees had been relied on since 1989.

Earlier today (May 3rd), The Weeknd provided a statement to the New York Times that acknowledged the Grammys’ changes–and doubled-down on his boycott! He stated:

“Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the Grammys’ recent admission of corruption will hopefully be a positive move for the future of this plagued award and give the artist community the respect it deserves with a transparent voting process.”

The Weeknd appears to be glad about the changes the Grammys are making to their protocol, but he will still refrain from supporting it by not submitting his music for consideration.

What are your thoughts on The Weeknd continuing to boycott the Grammys? Comment down below to let us know!