When the 2021 Grammy Awards were announced in November, thousands of people were amazed to see The Weeknd - one of last year's most successful and acclaimed artists, whose song "Blinding Lights" became the first song to be released. stays on the Billboard Hot100 Top10 for a full year - was not nominated for any awards.
As the clash with the Grammy Awards seemed to have subsided, in a statement to the New York Times the singer said he would boycott the awards, at least until the change is decided.
"Because of the secret committees," Weeknd said, "I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys."
The situation remains unclear, as it is almost impossible for voters, academia members as well as online people voting not to give The Weeknd enough votes to be nominated.
Numerous theories have been put forward and it is most often said that someone, without being clear who, simply did not want Weeknd to perform at the Grammy and Super Bowl, events that were originally planned just a week away.
Wassim Slaiby, manager of The Weeknd, told the Times it was still unclear why his client was not nominated.
"We were for many weeks and made dozens of phone calls with the Grammy team about Abel's performance until the day the nominations were announced," said Slaiby, known as Sal. "We were confused and looking for answers."
Slaiby said he hopes The Weeknd's stance will inspire other artists to speak out against secret committees.
Secret committees are claimed to be board members who have relationships with various artists. According to the allegations, the board is thought to be manipulating the process to ensure that certain songs or albums are nominated.
After the list of nominated singers was made public, The Weeknd said on Twitter: “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe transparency to me, my fans and the industry! ”
Pas tij, reagoi edhe Drake, i cili jo vetëm që mbështeti publikisht The Weeknd, por në të njëjtën kohë edhe iu kundërvu akademisë, e cila jep çmimet të konsideruara si më prestigjozet në industrinë e muzikës. Përmes një postimi në Instagram, Drake shkroi:
“Mendoj se duhet të ndalojmë së habituri çdo vit për këtë shkëputje të muzikës me ndikim dhe këtyre çmimeve dhe të pranojmë që ajo çfarë ishte më parë forma më e lartë e njohjes, të mos ketë rëndësi për artistët që ekzistojnë tani dhe ata që do të vijnë më pas. Është pak a shumë si një i afërm për të cilin ti pret që të ndryshojë, por ai nuk rregullohet.”
Nicki Minaj ishte një nga artistet që ripostoi deklaratën e Drake. Kujtojmë se më parë ajo ka ironizuar akademinë.
"I never forget that the Grammy did not give me the Best Young Artist award when I had 7 songs listed simultaneously on the Billboard, more than any other female rapper in the last decade. "They gave it to a white man, Bon Iver," she wrote on Twitter.
