The Weeknd has vowed to continue to boycott the Grammys - despite a major change to their rules.
The Weeknd
After it was announced that the Recording Academy will stop using secret committees to select nominees, the three-time Grammy-winner has insisted he still can't "trust" them.
The Weeknd told Variety: “The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy organisation and artists that it would be unwise to raise a victory flag."
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 he later vowed to never submit any of his future work for consideration.
He said: “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 – 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....”
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 recognised, 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 empathise 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 recognised by the voting body for their excellence, and we congratulate them all."
The Weeknd’s decision to boycott the Grammys came after Zayn Malik accused them of being rigged.
He tweeted: "F*** 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."
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 (sic)"
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