The Weeknd Says He’s Still Boycotting the Grammys Despite Rule Changes

Last year, after not receiving any 2021 Grammy nominations, the Weeknd called the Grammys “corrupt” and also pledged not to submit his work for future award consideration. The singer took particular exception with the Recording Academy’s “secret committees” that historically decided who made the final ballots in many categories.

This past Friday (April 30), the Recording Academy announced changes to its nomination process for the 2022 Grammy Awards. No longer will Grammy nominations be finalized by committees of 15-30 music industry “peers” representing their “genre communities.” Instead, the final pool of nominees for nearly all Grammy awards will be decided by a majority vote of Academy voting members.

Despite the changes, the Weeknd has affirmed his boycott of the Grammys. In a new statement to The New York Times, he said, “Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the Grammys’ recent admission of corruption will hopefully be a positive move for the future of this plagued award and give the artist community the respect it deserves with a transparent voting process.”

Speaking with Variety, the Weeknd added, “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 also said, “I think the industry and public alike need to see the transparent system truly at play for the win to be celebrated, but it’s an important start. 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.”

Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for the Weeknd and the Recording Academy for comment and more information.