The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards are going down next Monday morning and The Weeknd has now said he plans to boycott the prestigious awards night.
In a statement provided to The New York Times, The Weeknd said, “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”
The Grammys interim Chief Executive told The New York Times the academy is dedicated to improving.
“We’re all disappointed when anyone is upset,” he said in response to the statement.
“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.”
It comes after his insanely popular album After Hours and even more successful single ‘Blinding Lights’ didn’t see him nominated for the 2021 awards.
At the time, The Weeknd tweeted, “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…”
Drake, who has called The Grammys out for racism in the past — particularly the genres they assign Black artists, supported The Weeknd.
He said, “It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just can’t change their ways.”
Jhene Aiko will host the awards night. As for performances? Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, BTS, and Harry Styles are some of the names on the bill.
The 2021 Grammy Awards will be streaming live from 7am (AEDT) Monday, 15th March. The main broadcast will kick off at 12pm (AEDT).
Listen to The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ below.
