The Recording Academy announced Friday (April 30) that it would eliminate its “secret” nomination-review Grammy committees — but The Weeknd, who was famously shut out of all 2021 nominations, isn’t satisfied.
“The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy organization and artists that it would be unwise to raise a victory flag,” he told Variety.
The Weeknd’s hit After Hours and singles were absent from the nominees and as a result, in November 2020, he committed to withholding his music from award consideration, and he reaffirmed that commitment, despite the recent statement from Grammy chief Harvey Mason Jr. The Weeknd says, “I remain uninterested in being a part of the Grammys, especially with their own admission of corruption for all these decades. I will not be submitting in the future.”
The artist did, however, tell Variety that the Recording Academy move was “an important start.”
In the interview with Variety. The Weekend’s manager, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, commented, “No change comes without a voice heard. I’m just proud of Abel for standing up for what he believes in. I was in a shock when all this happened but now I see it clearly, and I’m glad we stood for our beliefs.”
The Recording Academy announced the change last week. Here’s what Harvey Mason jr., the chair and interm president/CEO of the Academy said:
“It’s been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy, and I’m immensely proud to be able to continue our journey of growth with these latest updates to our Awards process. This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community. While change and progress are key drivers of our actions, one thing will always remain — the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-driven and peer-voted recognition in music. We are honored to work alongside the music community year-round to further refine and protect the integrity of the Awards process.”
