The Weeknd on Grammy snubs: “I personally don’t care anymore”
The “Blinding Lights” singer says he is no longer bothered by his exclusion from the 2021 Grammy nominations.
The Weeknd is disinterested in the Grammys and the surrounding conversation about his Grammy snubs. In a recent interview with Billboard, he addressed the annual award show yet again, this time making one thing clear: He’s over it.
“Look, I personally don’t care anymore,” he explained. “I have three Grammys which mean nothing to me now, obviously. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I want the Grammy!’ It’s just that this happened, and I’m down to get in front of the fire as long as it never happens again. I suck at giving speeches anyways. Forget awards shows.”
Last year, the Toronto-based singer topped music charts and broke several records with his “Blinding Lights” song, so when his name was excluded from Grammy nominations, many, himself included, were taken by surprise.
“The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…,” said the “Earned It” crooner, to which Grammys Interim President and CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. responded in defense of the Recording Academy’s selection process.
“I don’t think [The Weeknd’s omission calls the nominations] process into question, honestly,” said Mason. “… The people in that room care; there are no agendas in there, there’s no, ‘Let’s snub this person’ or that person. It’s about, ‘Let’s try and find excellence.’”
Drake chimed in, expressing his shock that The Weeknd was excluded from Grammy nominations. He insisted that “the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists” and even suggested that the new generation look into creating their own celebratory platform. “This is a great time for somebody to start something new that we can build up over time and pass on to the generations to come,” the Views emcee wrote.
The Weeknd has since moved on from the Grammys drama and is preparing for a headlining performance at Super Bowl LV, which may possibly feature Ariana Grande.