The Weeknd spoke to the New York Times, where he revealed that he's no longer submitting his music for the Grammys in a boycott to the awards show.
This comes after the Grammys didn't nominate him for his hit song "Blinding Lights," which has spent 52 weeks in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, or his highly acclaimed album After Hours. The awards show has faced scrutiny over the years over its secretive voting system, known as members of the Recording Academy, a Santa Monica, California-based nonprofit whose membership is composed of industry artists, producers, executives, and other staffers. The Grammys have also been accused of alleged biases against Black and female artists. Only four Black artists have won Grammys in the coveted "Big Four" categories (album, record and song of the year, plus best new artist) over the last nine years.
The Weeknd stated that he's ultimately boycotting the Grammys "Because of the secret committees." Producer/songwriter and interim chief executive of the Grammys, Harvey Mason Jr., responded to The Weeknd, stating, "We're all disappointed when anyone is upset. But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in past years, we are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees."
Source: The New York Times
