Drake has withdrawn his two Grammy nominations from contention at the upcoming awards show. According to Variety, Drake and his management made that decision and relayed it to the Recording Academy, which honored the request. The categories he withdrew from were Best Rap Performance for “Way 2 Sexy” and Best Rap Album for Certified Lover Boy.
Variety also reported that there won’t be a replacement for Drake in those categories.
Drake’s had a tumultuous relationship with the Recording Academy in the past. In 2017, he skipped the Grammy ceremony (despite winning two awards). In 2019, Drake declined an offer to perform at that year’s ceremony and had his mic cut during an acceptance speech after winning Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan” after criticizing the Recording Academy.
In the past week, Marilyn Manson lost his nomination for Best Rap Song for Kanye West’s “Jail” on account of the changes in the songwriting credit. On Sunday, Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent lost their Album of the Year nominations for Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour. The trio are credited songwriters on the album.
