The Canadian artists Drake and The Weeknd once again are boycotting the Grammys. This will be the second time in a row that the artists have decided to decline their participation.
The voting for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards has begun, according to Pitchfork. Neither Drake’s nor The Weeknd’s music was in the voting. The Weeknd’s Sticky and Sacrifice, as well as Drake’s Honestly and Nevermind, were not included in the voting.
In 2021, The Weeknd announced his intention to boycott the Grammys. He made the decision after the Recording Academy passed on his critically acclaimed hit album, “After Hours.” He said in a statement at the time that because of the secret committee, he would no longer allow his label to submit his music to the Grammys.
During an interview with Billboard, The Weeknd, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, said that he does not care anymore. He went on to say that he had three Grammys, which now meant nothing to him. He also stated that he is terrible at giving speeches, so forget about award shows. Abel did say he was feeling things. The Weeknd mentioned he wasn’t sure if he was sad or angry, but he assumed it was just confusion. He lastly added, all he wanted was answers, like, ‘Wait, what happened?
Drake’s feud began in 2017 when he claimed that his catchy pop/R&B hit “Hotline Bling” had only earned nominations for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song. He won in both categories. Drake claimed Hotline Bling is not a rap song and the only category in which he could be considered for a Grammy was rap.
Drake said that it could be because he has rapped in the past or because he is black; he can’t figure out why. He said that he loves rap, the rap world, and the community, but he writes pop songs for a reason. Drake mentioned he aspires to be like Michael Jackson and other artists he looks up to. He said he does not even want the awards he won because it feels weird for some reason.
Due to the absence of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy from most of the nominations, he stepped down his nominees in 2021.