Drake and The Weeknd have decided to skip the 2023 Grammy Awards, making this the second consecutive year that both Canadian singers have opted out, according to Vibe report shared by Page Six.
Page Six quoted a Vibe report that stated that the two musicians, who have worked together for more than a decade, have already expressed their displeasure with the behind-the-scenes working Recording Academy, the body that oversees the Grammy Awards, which are widely regarded as the highest honour in the music business, on different occasions.
The "Save Your Tears" singer reportedly took aim at the Recording Academy's opaque voting method in a March 2021 statement to the New York Times, saying, "Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys."
According to Page Six, The Weeknd, also vented to Billboard in an interview that was published earlier that year, in January 2021.
"Look, I personally don't care anymore. I have three Grammys, which mean nothing to me now, obviously," he told the music magazine. "I suck at giving speeches anyways. Forget awards shows."
Page Six further quoted The Weeknd's interview with Billboard magazine, "Of his initial shock at the snub, the 32-year-old musician added, "I use a sucker punch as an analogy. Because 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?'"
According to Page Six, Drake has had a falling out with the Grammys since the 2017 event, when he couldn't help but notice how his catchy pop/R&B hit "Hotline Bling" had only received nods for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song.
The 35-year-old voiced concern over how the Grammys seemed to have pigeonholed the single despite winning both categories. Drake said on the OVO Sound radio show the day after the 2017 event, "Even though 'Hotline Bling' is not a rap song, the only category they can manage to fit me in is a rap category. Maybe it's because I've rapped in the past or because I'm black," reported Page Six.
"I love the rap world and I love the rap community, but you're right. I write pop songs for a reason," he continued. "I wanna be like Michael Jackson. I wanna be like artists that I've looked up to. Those are pop songs, but I never get any credit for that...I won two awards last night, but I don't even want them, because it feels weird for some reason," he added.
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