The Weekend (Photo: Splash News)

Recording artiste The Weeknd has said he

will boycott the Grammy Awards, and instruct his label to not submit his music

for consideration.

The news comes after The Weeknd, whose After Hours was one of the mostcritically acclaimed albums of 2020, and whose record-breaking single, Blinding Lights, was snubbed by theRecording Academy, which failed to give him a nomination.

The Weeknd, in an exclusive statement to

The New York Times, said he will boycott the awards going forward “because of

the secret committees”. He continued, “I will no longer allow my label to

submit my music to the Grammys.”

The Grammys has faced ongoing backlash

over the years for not being representational of the industry and failing to

recognise deserving artistes, particularly black artistes.

The academy’s interim CEO, Harvey Mason

Jr., in response to The Weeknd’s statement, said “We’re all disappointed when

anyone is upset,” adding “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.”

The Weeknd, who was the Super

Bowl LV halftime show performer last month, was recently recognised for Blinding Lights which became the first

song to spend an entire year in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Grammys, initially slated

for January, will be aired this Sunday.