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The Weeknd has called out the Grammys after he failed to receive any nominations for the 2021 awards for his latest album, ‘After Hours’.
In a tweet posted today (November 25), The Weeknd – aka Abel Makkonen Tesfaye – said the Grammys “remain corrupt” and that the organisation “owe me, my fans and the industry transparency”.
The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 25, 2020
Responding to The Weeknd’s tweet, in a statement provided to Rolling Stone, Recording Academy Chair Harvey Mason Jr. said, “We understand that the Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathise with what he’s feeling.
“His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration. Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists.
“All Grammy nominees are recognised by the voting body for their excellence, and we congratulate them all,” Mason Jr. concluded.
The nominations for the 2021 Grammys were announced yesterday (November 24), with Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Billie Eilish receiving the most nods.
Notably, Swift and Lipa have been nominated for Album of the Year for ‘Folklore’ and ‘Future Nostalgia’ respectively.
Despite the success of the multi-platinum single ‘Blinding Lights’, The Weeknd didn’t receive a nod in the Song of the Year category.
For 2021, nominations in that category have gone to Beyoncé’s ‘Black Parade’, Eilish’s ‘Everything I Wanted’, Lipa’s ‘Don’t Start Now’ and Swift’s ‘Cardigan’ among others.
The Weeknd has won three Grammys in the past: Best Urban Contemporary Album for ‘Starboy’ and ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ in 2018 and 2016 respectively and Best R&B Performance for ‘Earned It’ in 2016.
At the 2020 American Music Awards (AMAs) on November 22, The Weeknd walked away with the top prize in the Favourite Male Artist – Soul/R&B, Favourite Album – Soul/R&B, and Favourite Song – Soul/R&B categories.
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