Months after this year's now-famous Grammy snub, the Recording Academy is now taking action to create change.
After singer and songwriter The Weeknd (born Abel Tesfaye) received zero Grammy nominations this year, he criticized the Recording Academy on social media and claimed corruption. Celebrities and fans soon followed, turning it into one of the biggest controversies in Grammy Award history.
Because of this situation, and many more in the past, the Recording Academy announced that trustees voted to disband nominations review committees, and let Grammy voters have the final say in all non-craft categories.
Although fans have shown a lot of support for this decision, others simply seem to no longer believe in the relevance of the Grammys.
Other than eliminating nominations review committees, trustees have also voted to reduce the number of categories in which voters have input from 15 to 10; add two categories (best global music performance and best música Urbana album); and add a month to the eligibility year this year - meaning songs, albums, and videos released from Sept. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, will be eligible for the 2022 ceremony.
The Weeknd was predicted to score multiple Grammy nominations for the 2021 ceremony for his widely acclaimed album After Hours, including Album of the Year. After he was shut out, Fans, and Tesfaye himself, were in shock, and artists such as Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Zayn also supported his claims of corruption.
When Billboard asked the Recording Academy's chair Harvey Mason Jr. for a response, he said, “We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent.”
Although this was notably one of the most highly publicized snubs in history, there have been others in the past which were also shocking and confusing at the time.
At the 2015 ceremony, singer and songwriter Sam Smith lost Album of the Year to alternative musician Beck. This sparked outrage from fans due to Smith having won Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year that same night.
Another incident was when indie folk band Bon Iver shockingly beat rapper Nicki Minaj for Best New Artist in 2012. Fans accused the academy of not choosing Minaj because she is a woman.
In response to his own snub, Tesfaye announced that he is boycotting the Grammy Awards and will no longer submit his work to the Recording Academy for consideration. He's won three Grammy Awards for his albums Beauty Behind the Madness and Starboy, and his hit song "Earned It."
The official rule book for next year's ceremony will be released in May, and nominations will be announced this fall. The 64th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on January 31, 2022, in Los Angeles.