Drake And The Weeknd Are Clearly Over The Grammy Awards

Superstar Drakeand fellow artiste The Weeknd are snubbing the Grammys.

The pair chose not to submit any of their songs for consideration, once again continuing their boycott of the music award ceremony.

The Weeknd first announced in 2021 that he would not attend subsequent editions after his hit album "After Hours" was snubbed by the Recording Academy. On the other hand, Drake withdrew his nominations for the 2022 edition, seemingly in solidarity with The Weeknd, with whom he has collaborated with on several occasions.

Both artists have in the past expressed their dissatisfaction with the selection process of the Grammy. Some other musicians have also boycotted the ceremony for similar reasons.

Read on to learn more.

Per Vibe, Drake and The Weeknd are boycotting the Grammys once again. The Toronto artists had a great music year but have chosen not to put in any of their projects for consideration or possible nomination for the 2023 edition of the ceremony.

Both artists released solo albums - Drake's "Honestly, Nevermind" and The Weeknd's "Dawn FM "— which would have been eligible for multiple categories. In addition, the pair skipped out on submitting their hit singles, such as "Sticky" and "Out of Time."

The two Canadian artists have chosen to take on the 65-year-old institution for the second year in a row. Both musicians have previously complained about the Recording Academy's methods of selecting and awarding artists.

While none of their projects appear on the official ballot, Drake and The Weeknd featured on some projects with other artists, which were submitted for consideration. This means that the pair still have a chance at winning a Grammy even though the Recording Academy will not have an opportunity to consider their personal work.

The Weeknd's beef with the Recording Academy dates back to 2021. The artist's smash album "After Hours" was snubbed at the ceremony despite the project being touted to win several awards due to the singer's critically acclaimed, record-breaking hit single "Blinding Lights."

After the event was held, The Weeknd announced his decision to boycott future Grammys, which suggested he was deeply dissatisfied with the snub. At the time, he told New York Times, "I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys," citing that the Recording Academy had "secret committees" that wrongly influenced the selection of nominees and winners.

On how he felt about the snub, The Weeknd opened up to The Billboard in an interview in 2021. He told the publication, per Page Six, "It just kind of hit me out of nowhere. I definitely felt … I felt things. I don't know if it was sadness or anger. I think it was just confusion. I just wanted answers. Like, 'What happened?'"

Meanwhile, Drake's dissatisfaction with the Grammys started after the 2017 ceremony, where his pop single "Hotline Bling" had only landed a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song. Despite ultimately winning some awards, the singer complained that his song was stereotyped to be rap instead of being also nominated in the pop categories.

In 2021, the rapper aired his dissatisfaction with The Weeknd getting snubbed by the Recording Academy. 

He said at the time, per People, "I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after."

The following year, he withdrew his nominations for the album "Certified Lover Boy," in the best rap album category, and "Way 2 Sexy," which was up for best rap performance.

Before their boycott of the ceremony in 2022, Drake had received 47 nominations and won four Grammys, while The Weeknd had just 13 nominations. It's unknown at this moment whether their present perspective on the Grammy will alter. Given its current state, there is a strong likelihood that they will snub future editions.

Not just Drake and The Weeknd have expressed displeasure with the Recording Academy's procedures. Even though they were nominated for many awards, superstars like Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar chose not to attend the 2019 ceremony.

The next edition of the Grammys will hold at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023.