The Weeknd responds to "corrupt" Grammys snub: "You owe me and my fans transparency"

Two of the most noteworthy absences from yesterday's 2021 Grammy nominations were Bob Dylan and The Weeknd, as well as BLACKPINK and Rina Sawayama in the Best New Artist category.

The Weeknd’s record-breaking hit 'Blinding Lights' was eligible for nomination, as was his chart-topping album After Hours.

The 30-year-old artist, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, was defended by fellow musician Kid Cudi after he received zero nominations. Beyoncé leads the pack with a total of nine, becoming the most nominated female artist in Grammy Awards history with an incredible 79 nods.

Bob Dylan’s critically and commercially acclaimed album Rough and Rowdy Ways was also released during the eligibility period, with its first single 'Murder Most Foul' climbing to No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart. Read the Hot Press review of the album here.

The Grammy nominations require that an artist submit their work for consideration each year, but it’s unclear whether Dylan did so.

Frank Ocean, Drake, Cardi B, and Macklemore have all chosen to withhold music from Grammy consideration over the last number of years for various reasons, mostly citing corruption or racial discrimination.

When asked about the Weeknd’s Grammys snub in a Variety interview, Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. said: "It really just comes down to the voting body that decides.”

Hours after the Grammy nominations were announced, the Weeknd tweeted:

“The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency.”

Mason later shared a statement responding to the Weeknd, denying the artist was left out as a result of any ultimatum.

"We understand that the Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathise with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration. We were thrilled when we found out he would be performing at the upcoming Super Bowl and we would have loved to have him also perform on the Grammy stage the weekend before.

"Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists," Mason added.

"But as the only peer-voted music award, we will continue to recognise and celebrate excellence in music while shining a light on the many amazing artists that make up our global community. To be clear, voting in all categories ended well before the Weeknd’s performance at the Super Bowl was announced, so in no way could it have affected the nomination process. All Grammy nominees are recognised by the voting body for their excellence, and we congratulate them all."

The Weeknd’s previous album, Starboy, won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

Bob Dylan has won 10 Grammy Awards and received 38 Grammy nominations. He was first nominated for the 1963 Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording for Bob Dylan. 10 years later, he won his first Grammy when The Concert for Bangladesh nabbed Album of the Year.