Pop Stars Boycott One After Another... Grammy's Prestige Fading as Top Authority

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Grammy Awards ceremony held on the 14th (local time) lost its reputation as the most prestigious music award in the United States as pop stars continued to boycott and refuse to participate in congratulatory performances due to the organizers' unfairness and exclusivity.

Global Black pop star The Weeknd from Canada strongly criticized the fact that his songs were not nominated for the Grammy Awards and declared a boycott of the Grammys.

According to The New York Times (NYT), The Weeknd said, "The Grammys are a secret committee," and declared, "I will no longer submit my music to the Grammys."

Last November, when none of his songs were included in the Grammy nominee list, The Weeknd criticized, "The Grammys are still corrupt."

The Weeknd gained worldwide popularity with his fourth studio album 'After Hours' released last year and the track 'Blinding Lights,' but he was not nominated for the four major Grammy awards including 'Album of the Year,' nor for the pop and rhythm and blues (R&B) genre categories.

'After Hours' ranked number one on the Billboard album chart 'Billboard 200' for four consecutive weeks, and 'Blinding Lights' is a mega-hit song that held a top 10 position for the longest period on the Billboard singles chart 'Hot 100.'

British pop star Zayn Malik, who was excluded from the Grammy nominations, also joined the chorus of criticism.

Malik tweeted, "Unless you shake hands with the Grammy people and send them gifts, you are not considered for nomination," adding, "Next year, I will send a basket of cookies."

He continued, "My tweet is not personal but about the lack of transparency in the Grammy nomination process," pointing out, "The Grammys allow bias, racism, and network politics that influence the nomination voting process."

Justin Bieber criticized the Grammys for the 'strange' act of nominating his R&B album in the pop category rather than R&B and declared he would not attend the ceremony.

Beyonc? was nominated in nine Grammy categories this year but reportedly refused the Grammy's request for a performance, according to the U.S. music media Billboard.

Although the reason for Beyonc?'s refusal to perform at the Grammys is unknown, it is analyzed as a move criticizing the Grammys' exclusivity.

The NYT reported, "Some in the music industry are concerned that the Grammys may permanently alienate Black artists."

CNN also reported, "The Grammys have been repeatedly criticized for ignoring Black artists in the four major categories."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.