(Zayn Malik similarly criticized the Grammys voting body,*tweeting*earlier this week, “Fuck the Grammys and everyone associated. Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there’s no nomination considerations. Next year I’ll send you a basket of confectionary… My tweet was not personal or about eligibility but was about the need for inclusion and the lack of transparency of the nomination process and the space that creates and allows favoritism, racism, and [networking] politics to influence the voting process.”)
In the lead-up to his Super Bowl halftime show, Tesfaye was critical of the Recording Academy and what he considered their flawed nomination process.
“If you were like, ‘Do you think the Grammys are racist?’ I think the only real answer is that in the last 61 years of the Grammys, only 10 black artists have won album of the year,” Tesfaye*told*Billboard. “I don’t want to make this about me. That’s just a fact.”
Tesfaye added in the*Billboard*interview: “Look, I personally don’t care anymore. 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.”
In response to the Weeknd’s plan to boycott future Grammys, Recording Academy interim CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told the*New York Times:*“We’re all disappointed when anyone is upset. But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in past years, we are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees.”